Missing in Action
by FrameofMind
Summary: Complete. AU. Inuyasha is an American fighter pilot in WWII, down behind enemy lines. Kagome is a member of the French Resistence, and the 'companion' of Colonel Kouga, a local German officer. But things get complicated when their paths cross...
1. Pilot Error

Author's Note: Welcome to my first (posted) Inuyasha fic! I'm really excited to write this one because I've got it outlined and I think it's going to be so much fun!

    Just a heads up, this is an AU fic, set during WWII in Europe. Although I realize that youkai were not common in western society during that time (or anywhere else for that matter, as far as I know;), for the purposes of this story they are. This means that all characters who are normally youkai are still youkai, and I'm not planning to make an issue out of it (such as having people be freaked out by Inuyasha's ears and things). Also, the characters are not technically Japanese in this story, but that shouldn't make a huge difference. I just wanted to clarify! ;)

     Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! And please, comments, good or bad, are all welcome. As I said, it is outlined, but not written yet. If there are any big problems or oversights I can probably adapt to accommodate them! ;)

Missing in Action 

Chapter 1: Pilot Error

The cockpit shuddered around him. Inuyasha clung tightly to the controls, trying desperately to keep the plane from careening off into the dark gray mass of clouds that filled the sky. He caught one of the enemy fighters within his sites and fired, pulling up only after it burst into flames and its wreckage plummeted downward. He couldn't spare even a thought for the pilot whose life he'd just ended, lest he find himself in a similar situation. Instead his eyes peered out into the growing darkness, seeking the other planes, trying to get a fix on their positions and keep them from tailing him, for that could be fatal.  
  
The rest of his squadron had vanished somewhere in the clouds. They'd gotten separated when a swarm of German stealth fighters had ambushed them from all sides. At least three of the fighters had stayed with him; three to one -- not exactly in his favor this time. But only two remained now.  
  
"Come on, come on..." he intoned, banking left in pursuit of the nearest target. But he had to drop a few feet to avoid the other plane as it made a pass at him from the right, and in the process the first plane disappeared from view. Changing objectives in mid-maneuver, as he had been trained to do with ease, he chased after the one which had just fired on him, growing ever more irritated with the pair of them.  
  
Just as he was about to fire upon his quarry, a terrible jolt rocked the cabin and his aircraft lurched forward into a nosedive.  
  
"Fuck, no..." he growled through gritted teeth as he wrestled with the controls in an attempt to steady the fighter. He was loosing altitude rapidly, the g-forces becoming more and more intense as the ground spiraled closer. A grunt of frustration escaped him and he gave an almighty yank, finally managing to pull the nose up, but it was no use. He was falling too fast and he was too close to the ground, not to mention the fact that the plane was leaning right heavily -- the wing had been damaged.   
  
_ I'm going to die.  
_  
He braced for impact. "Holy fuck!" he shouted, steeling himself, just a split second before the aircraft smacked against a tree and glanced off at a spin, to finally collide fully and spectacularly with the ground.  
  
* * *  
  
It was a cool, March evening in the French countryside, but the weather had warmed considerably of late, allowing the couple to dine outdoors for a change. They sat at a cozy little candle lit table for two out on the stone patio of a large house, which had been appropriated by the commander of the regiment in charge of occupation of the village.  
  
Kagome idly drew lazy figure-eights on the white linen tablecloth with her fingernail as she smiled warmly across the table at her dinner companion. At the moment he was rambling on about some incident with one of the officers under his command that had occurred earlier that day. Quite frankly, she was bored stiff, and had quit really listening about a half an hour ago. It was just as well, because Kouga usually preferred to dominate the conversation anyway. By now she was used to waiting out his long dull talks with a sweet, adoring smile plastered on her face until something useful came up. This sort of skill was necessary in her line of work.  
  
"So naturally I suspended him from duty and confined him to quarters for the remainder of the week. After all, we cannot tolerate those who are less than exemplary in the Fuhrer's military." He paused to take a sip of the fine pinot noir, which, incidentally, had been sequestered from a local vintner by Kouga's soldiers. "Imagine, an officer out of uniform with his collar unbuttoned, at guard duty. Such things are unacceptable. An officer must be an example for his men -- indeed for all those under the protection of the Reich, for our army is its life's blood," Kouga swelled with pride as he expounded, yet again, the virtues of the German military. It was with practiced grace that Kagome nodded firmly in agreement.  
  
"How right you are my dear. I have always said that France would do well to follow the German example. But my people can be so stubborn about democracy and civil liberty. What good are they, if we cannot defend them?" she concurred, then went in for the kill, "You're so very wise in such military matters. They must trust you a great deal to give you such an important post here in our little village."  
  
"Why yes, they do. In fact, I've recently been informed that General Naraku intends to pay me a personal visit in order to discuss certain top secret matters," he boasted, and Kagome allowed her eyes to glaze a bit, as though she were merely awed by his importance. In reality, however, she took in every word. This was the part she had been waiting for.  
  
"My, he does sound important!" she breathed, secretly disgusted with her air-headed tone, "When is he coming?"  
  
"I am told he is to arrive within the week," said Kouga proudly, obviously gratified by her attention. "But enough of business, my dear. Let us go inside and have our coffee, and then we can retire to my chambers for more...enjoyable activities," he smirked suggestively, and she returned with a coy sort of expression as he rose and turned to go inside. The minute his back was to her she made a revolted face and gritted her teeth for her least favorite part of the evening. But she knew that as long as she kept him 'satisfied' he never got suspicious. He was far too arrogant to believe she was deceiving him -- which, of course, she was.  
  
* * *  
  
The last of the customers had departed Le Cafe de l'Asile over an hour ago, and it was now almost two o'clock in the morning. Sango had finished washing the dishes and wiping down the tables, and was just cleaning the counter when she heard the little bell on the door jingle, heralding the arrival of a visitor.  
  
"I'm sorry, were-" she stopped as she looked up and saw who it was. "Oh, hey Kagome. How'd it go with Kouga tonight?"  
  
The woman grimaced and replied, "Same as usual. But it's a necessary evil, I suppose." Dropping her things on a nearby table, she collapsed into a chair and propped her feet up on another. "I'm dead on my feet."  
  
Sango put down the rag she'd been using and came around the counter to lean back against it, "Oh come on Kagome, it can't be that bad. After all, Kouga's not exactly hideous; he's pretty handsome, come to think of it. You're not going to tell me you don't enjoy it even the tiniest little bit?"  
  
"Sango, if you had spent as much time with the man as I have, you wouldn't have to ask. Sure he's good-looking, but that is completely balanced out by the fact that the man's a complete ass," Kagome stated ruefully. She heaved a sigh and looked away, muttering almost to herself, "But, there's nothing to be done about it; we need him as a contact," her voice darkened, "and it's not as if I were saving myself for anyone." _Not anymore_, she thought.  
  
Sango opened her mouth to respond, but just then there came three sharp knocks in a long-short-short pattern on the side door. "It's Miroku," Sango stated simply, though her voice was slightly hushed, and she went to let him in while Kagome checked to see that all the blackout curtains were in place.  
  
Soon a man dressed in loose, black clothes, with dark brown hair pulled into a short ponytail entered the room. He removed his knit cap and smiled in greeting to each of them. "Kagome; Sango." His grin widened a bit when his gaze met the second woman's. Her eyes narrowed in response, and she said warningly, "Miroku, so help me, if you try anything I'll-"  
  
"Alright, alright, relax," he held up his hands in a placating gesture, "I promise, I'll be the perfect gentleman." Both women raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. "I will! Really!" They merely made eye contact and shook their heads, still disbelieving, but before the conversation could go any further Kagome spoke up.  
  
"Well, I talked to Kouga today and I managed to get a little more information from him."  
  
"Oh?" Miroku said, his playful tone sliding into business mode. He took a seat nearby and Sango went back to lean on the counter, careful to keep her distance, "What did he say?"  
  
"After enlightening me on the glory that is the Third Reich," Kagome said wryly, "he mentioned that he was expecting a visit from General Naraku sometime within the week."  
  
"_General_ Naraku?" Sango echoed, astonished.  
  
"Hmm," Miroku considered, brow creased in concern, "This is big. There must be something pretty important on the fire if Naraku is coming all the way out here just to talk to Colonel Kouga."  
  
Kagome watched his expression and began to get a bit nervous herself. "Do you have any idea what it could be?"  
  
"Hm? Oh," he snapped back out of his thoughts, "well, there is something going on on our side at least, but I'm not exactly authorized to tell you about it at the moment. Actually, I hardly know anything myself, but I wonder if the Krauts are on to us. They could be planning some sort of counter-operation or something."  
  
Sango, having forgotten completely about avoiding Miroku, had crossed the room to take a seat with the other two and asked in a worried sort of voice, "What do you mean? Do you think there would...I mean, is there supposed to be some kind of battle near here?"  
  
"I really don't know exactly. Maybe," Miroku's voice turned comforting as his attention fell completely upon Sango. He took her hand and ran his thumb gently over her knuckles, "But don't worry. If I get word of military action in the area, I'll do everything I can to get you two out, okay?"  
  
Kagome smiled to herself as she saw some of the tension in her friend's shoulders release at his words, saw the look they exchanged. Sango would never admit it, she knew, but there was obviously something between them. To what extent the feelings went, however, Kagome was not yet sure.  
  
"Okay," Sango replied.  
  
"Good. I've got to get out of here and get this news back to the others. They have more information than I do." He released Sango's hand, and the look of slight disappointment that crossed her face was not lost on Kagome. But the latter only nodded and rose to go peak out the window to see that the coast was clear. The moment her back was turned she heard a slap and Sango's voice saying, in an angry whisper, "Hentai!" She shook her head and thought, _Some things never change.  
  
_ After Miroku had left, the two women climbed the stairs to their shared apartment on the upper floor of the cafe. Both were incredibly tired and as such, neither managed to stay awake for long.  
  
* * *  
  
Darkness. Everything was darkness. It was thick and tangible like molasses and all that he could see, all that he was aware of, was the slow, clumsy, syrupy depth of it. It felt as if his being were suspended within it, neither living nor dead, merely existing within a vast sea of endless black.  
  
Then, all at once, something began to change. He was no longer suspended by the darkness, but suffocated by it. He felt as if it were pressing in upon him from all sides, trying to drag him down, further within its depths. But he fought against it. He struggled to breathe, to see something other than the black, to become aware of the world he knew existed somewhere beyond. Gradually, the darkness receded, growing lighter and easier to move through. Slowly he felt himself regaining consciousness.  
  
When Inuyasha opened his eyes, the first thing he was aware of was that it was still dark. This confused him for a moment, until his brain managed to register that it was night. Almost immediately following, he suddenly became aware of a great deal of pain throughout his body. He let out a gasp as it shot through him, but this only caused further pain in the general vicinity of his ribcage. Wincing, he ground out a muffled curse.  
  
_What happened?_ he thought vaguely, trying to remember what had occurred before he lost consciousness. As his eyes adjusted to the pale light of the moon, he began to perceive the faint outline of a plane cockpit around him. The glass cover had been shattered and the craft sat at an odd angle, seemingly propped against a tree. Closing his eyes in concentration, he started to recall the flight he had been on before...before what?  
  
In his mind's eye, he saw an image of a German aircraft swooping over him at close range as he dodged its fire. There had been a jolt, and he'd gone into a nosedive...that was it. He'd been shot down by enemy aircraft. Then his last coherent thought before loosing consciousness crossed his mind.  
  
_ I'm going to die.  
  
I'm alive?_ he thought, incredulously. _How did I manage that?_  
  
He supposed it had been luck. And perhaps a little bit hanyou physiology. A crash like that would have killed most ordinary humans, but it appeared he had survived it with only a few injuries.  
  
Carefully, with a grimace of pain, he lifted his arms to test them out. The right was a bit sore and bruised, but mostly okay. The left on the other hand seemed to have been fractured. Next he used his right hand to test his ribs. With a hiss of pain, he discovered that one or two of them at least were broken, others bruised as well. Finally, he tried his legs. They were stiff and sore, but otherwise unharmed. He also noticed that there was a rather large gash on his left side from which he had lost some blood. He needed medical attention of some kind; his hanyou physiology could repair the damage relatively quickly, but he would need at least some shelter and a first aid kit to give it a chance to do so.  
  
Besides, he knew that when a plane went down in enemy territory it didn't take long before the military sent out search parties to recover plane and pilot. He'd been a part of those search parties at times in the past. The idea of being a prisoner in a Nazi P.O.W. camp did not appeal to him at all.  
  
That brought up another good question -- where the hell was he? He'd gotten separated from his unit and hadn't had much opportunity to get his bearings during the fight. He honestly had no idea where he'd ended up, apart from being somewhere in Western Europe. He'd just have to pick a direction and hope he came across some settlement inhabited by people who would refrain from shooting him on sight.  
  
He disentangled himself from the seat belt and with a grunt of pain, eased himself up out of the seat, trying to keep his left arm and side as still as possible. Wanting to leave no evidence of his identity for the Germans to trace him with, he shredded his flight suit and hid his dog tags and IDs on his person. Any article of clothing with an American emblem was left with the plane, nametags removed. He was left with green cargo pants, a white tank top, stained red with his blood, a green button-down shirt (also stained, but only a little), and a brown leather jacket, from which the patches had been carefully removed to avoid suspicion. He also gabbed his compass and slipped it into his pocket. Finally he retrieved his firearm, securing it in the back of his belt, where it was concealed by his coat.  
  
Glancing around, squinting into the darkness, he noticed a glint of what appeared to be metal reflecting the moonlight. Whatever it was was about one hundred yards off through the trees. Moving closer, he recognized it as a large piece of the wing of his aircraft.  
  
"This must be the way I came," he muttered, then glanced back at the rest of the craft, and finally pulled out his compass. "Northwest..." he frowned, "but we were going...arrgh, this is useless!" Immediately he regretted his outburst as it made his ribs twinge painfully, and he had to bite back another string of curses just itching to be unleashed. But unfortunately that would have the same effect.  
  
When the pain subsided and his nerves had calmed, he turned and picked a random direction, setting off in search of civilization as fast as his injuries would allow.  
  
* * *  
  
He'd been traveling for what seemed like ages. His left side was beginning to throb, and he could feel the gash being strained as he walked. Through the trees he could see that the sky was beginning to lighten ever so slightly.  
  
Just when he was beginning to consider stopping to rest, as dangerous as he knew that would be, he saw that the trees were thinning, and a quaint little European village was visible up ahead. Reinvigorated by the sight, he picked up the pace, ignoring the protests of his injured body.  
  
When he reached the village, he passed up the little houses on the outskirts, instead heading for the main street, where buildings were less likely to be inhabited at this hour. On the way he passed a sign reading 'Bienvenue a l'Acile,' and noted absently that he must be in either France or Belgium.  
  
Finally he came upon the main street and the first building he noticed was a little cafe called Le Cafe de l'Acile. It was the most promising thing around and likely to have at least some water for him to clean his wound. Without hesitation he expertly used his dog tags to pick the lock and slipped inside, headed straight for the kitchen. There he found some old rags and water to clean up the blood. There was no disinfectant or anything, but he was reluctant to search any further lest he get caught.  
  
So he settled down on the floor behind the counter where he could rest and yet still keep an eye on the door in case anyone came and he had to get out fast through the back. Unfortunately, he had failed to account for the fact that he was dead tired and had lost a good amount of blood, and promptly fell asleep.  
  
He was rudely awakened the next morning by a very high-pitched scream.  
  
* * *

A/N: So what do you think? Oh and by the way, I just want to assure you all that I have every intention of completing this fic. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people start fics and don't finish them. I could never do that to others!

Till next time (I'll try to update soon)! Please review…


	2. Awakenings

Author's Note: Here it is, the second chapter! It's really coming along nicely. I'm still not quite back on my outline yet, but I think this actually works a lot better than what I had before. Now I just have to find a way to weave it back in. Anyway, it's writing surprisingly easily.

    Hey, thank you sooo much for reviewing people! It's so nice to hear that people are interested! And Siriusfan82, I'm glad I seem to have stumbled upon an original idea. That's so cool! I'm always afraid of subconsciously stealing from someplace else (though I must admit, I was inspired by a _Star Trek: Voyager_ episode called "The Killing Game." But I assure you; the plot is my own! ;)

    That brings me to another point: I realized after I posted that I forgot the disclaimer in the last chapter. Heaven forbid! So, without further ado…

Disclaimer: Nope, he's not mine. I know, I know, I led you on with the absence of the disclaimer on the last chapter. I'm sure you all thought I was Rumiko Takahashi herself, but unfortunately it was merely an oversight. My apologies ;)

Missing in Action 

Chapter 2: Awakenings

Kagome yawned lazily, stretching in an attempt to work out the stiffness that had settled upon her in her sleep, as she padded softly down the stairs in her nightclothes. She was not a morning person, at least not when she had been up half the night. As such, she was understandably shaken when she rounded the corner toward the kitchen, only to nearly stumble over a strange, silver-haired man who was slumped unconscious against the wall behind the counter. Instinctively, she did the only thing she could -- she screamed.  
  
Inuyasha snapped awake at the sound in such close proximity. "Wha..! Holy shit! Who...?" he mumbled, his gaze snapping around in search of the source. His eyes fell upon Kagome, who had stumbled backward, leaning against the wall and clutching a hand to her chest as she attempted to catch her breath.  
  
"What the hell did you do that for, wench?!" he shot at her irritably. Apparently morning did not agree with him either, particularly when he had recently been slammed into the ground at about 200 miles per hour and then proceeded to run several miles. Needless to say, he was not in the best of moods.  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "What did I...? Who do you think you are?!" she replied, shock turning quickly into annoyance and anger. "And what are you doing in here?! This is a private establishment!"  
  
Inuyasha was just getting ready to retort when the sound of footsteps pounding urgently down the stairs interrupted him. A moment later a brown haired young woman swung into view.  
  
"Kagome, what -- oh!" she gasped, pulling up short at the sight of Inuyasha. "Who...who the hell are you?"  
  
He eyed Kagome who continued to glare at him expectantly. Deciding that, although he longed to argue further and appease his grumpiness, it would be best if he left as soon as possible and sought shelter elsewhere, he moved to stand up. But halfway there, a blinding pain stabbed at his left side and he grimaced, falling back against the wall, eyes closed tight.  
  
Seeing this, Kagome's anger subsided, replaced instead with concern. She knelt before him and quickly pushed aside the shirt he wore unbuttoned over his tank top to inspect the wound. He hissed again as she poked and prodded.  
  
"Fuck! Don't do that woman!" He tried to push her away with his good arm, but he was on the verge of passing out again. She simply ignored him, turning to Sango instead.  
  
"He's hurt, Sango," her voice was grave, "It looks bad. Come on; let's get him upstairs to the spare room. We can't just leave him here in this condition."  
  
"I'll be fine!" Inuyasha protested stubbornly, but both women acted as if they hadn't heard him, "Just leave me alone!" He hated how weak his voice was getting, not to mention the blurring of his vision.  
  
Sango nodded in response to Kagome and the two of them went to carry him together. Defeated, Inuyasha surrendered himself to unconsciousness.  
  
* * *  
  
Kagome retuned downstairs, feeling much more awake now that she had showered and dressed. She wore a rather plain, but comfortable, blue cotton dress, and her hair was arranged on top of her head casually, to keep it out of her face. She sighed, noticing the small bloodstain that their 'guest' had left on the floor where he'd slept.  
  
"Is he awake yet?" Sango questioned from her seat at the counter, glancing up from the morning paper, clad in a white blouse and brown skirt with her long hair pulled back in a braid.  
  
"Not yet." Kagome went into the kitchen to retrieve the cleaning supplies and work on the stain. "I bandaged his side, and his arm as well. I think he should be waking up soon. That is, assuming he hasn't slipped into a coma or anything. I wonder what happened to him?"  
  
"Well I hear there's a war on," Sango said wryly and Kagome chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, don't I know it. But he doesn't seem to be wearing a uniform, and he doesn't have any ID tags around his neck like soldiers are supposed to. All I can tell is that he's American; I'd recognize that accent anywhere." She worked away at the stain, in a way somewhat relieved to have something to do to get rid of her building frustration. Sango folded the paper and rose to start setting the place up for business.  
  
"I guess we'll just have to ask him when he wakes up." The brown-haired woman was wiping down the tables when a thought occurred to her, and she paused, "Kagome, you don't suppose he's a spy or something and he's on to us..."  
  
Kagome had finished with the stain and risen to her feet, dusting off her skirt. She frowned thoughtfully, "If he is, he was willing to beat himself up pretty badly just to convince us he had a reason to be here. I've only got a little bit of medical training, but it doesn't take an expert to see that he's seriously injured; he lost a lot of blood. Still, it's probably best if we don't trust him with much, and get him out of here as soon as he's completely healed," she finished. Sango nodded in agreement.  
  
"Okay. But let's have Miroku run a check on him next time he comes. I mean, how many American inu-hanyous can there be running around France; they could probably figure out who he is if he won't tell us -- or if he lies to us."  
  
"Good idea," Kagome concurred, then glanced at the clock. "I should go change his bandages and check up on him." Grabbing the first aid supplies from behind the counter, she disappeared back up the stairs.  
  
A moment after she left, there came a knock on the front door. Sango turned to tell whomever it was to go away, because they weren't open yet, but stopped short when she recognized the purple eyes peering -- or perhaps _leering_ -- at her through the window.  
  
"Miroku?" she muttered, confused, as she moved to let him in. Once he was inside and the door was closed, she asked in a slightly hushed voice, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Is that any way to greet a friend and potential customer Sango-chan?" he smirked playfully.  
  
She began to get annoyed, "Miroku, you know as well as I do that you never show up here during the day. Sometimes in the evenings but...were not even open yet; how suspicious must that look? And besides, weren't you supposed to be delivering a message or so-mmph," his hand muffled her speech and he looked suddenly tense.  
  
"Shhh...you can't just go blurting that stuff out," he scolded, "Someone might be listening."  
  
She yanked his hand away, irritably. "Get your hands off me! There's no one here but Kagome. Well, and this guy we found, but he's unconscious."  
  
"You can never be too care- guy?" he scowled suspiciously as her words sunk in, "What guy?"  
  
She folded her arms and glared at him, "I was coming to that. You see, when we woke up there was this strange guy sleeping behind the counter and he-"  
  
"Inside? How did he get in?" he interrupted incredulously, and Sango only became more annoyed.  
  
"We don't know yet! I told you, he's unconscious. Anyway, we want you to run a check on him, find out who he is..."  
  
* * *  
  
Inuyasha felt himself slowly returning to consciousness. There was movement around him; he could sense it, hear the rustling of cloth nearby. He opened his eyes, squinting and blinking, sight blurred with sleep. There was a lovely young woman with dark hair piled on top of her head, bending over him. He blinked a few more times, trying to clear his vision and get a better look. Then he frowned in recognition. "Oh, it's you," he said dully.  
  
Kagome raised an eyebrow at him, "Some thanks."  
  
"Feh, thanks for what? For screaming and damn near deafening me?" he remarked rudely.  
  
Her eyes flashed, "No, for treating your wounds you ungrateful jerk! And for letting you stay in my house. I didn't have to you know."  
  
He looked about to reply, but then thought better of it and merely uttered a "Feh," casting his gaze elsewhere.  
  
Satisfied with her victory, Kagome returned her attention to his injuries. As she reached out and began to remove the bandage at his side, he flinched and recoiled at the contact.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.  
  
"Changing the bandage. Relax, it can't hurt that much. You'll be healed in no time, nearly are already."  
  
He eyed her warily, but allowed her to continue. He wasn't so much concerned that she would hurt him; he knew how to deal with pain, or physical pain at least. It just made him edgy for some reason, to have her touch him. The feel of her hands against his bare skin was just a little too intimate, as innocent as it was.  
  
All of a sudden, something occurred to him. "Hey...you've been speaking English. Aren't you French or something?"  
  
She laughed softly at his blunt observation, "I figured my English would probably be better than your French. That's true with most Americans."  
  
He frowned, "How'd you know I was American?"  
  
"The accent."  
  
"Oh," he replied simply, recalling his exchange with her earlier.  
  
"So, who are you?" she asked, after a short pause.  
  
He met her gaze for a moment before she returned to dressing his wound. "My name is Inuyasha."  
  
When he didn't elaborate, she decided not to push. If he was a spy, that would only make him more suspicious. Besides, she knew she could probably coax it out of him eventually, and more subtly, if he wasn't. "I'm Kagome," she responded in kind, then continued with just a hint of sarcasm, "Nice to meet you, Inuyasha."  
  
He let out a breath in slight relief when she finished and rose to leave. "I'll be back to check on you later. Just rest awhile, okay?"  
  
He 'hmm'ed quietly and looked away. Only once she had closed the door behind her did he allow his eyes to fall upon it, and he listened as her footsteps faded away.  
  
* * *  
  
"No, for the last time, I will not go out with you!" Kagome heard Sango's angry voice from downstairs. She frowned. _Miroku? What is he..._  
  
"But Sango, I-"  
  
"No! There's a war on for heaven's sake. And I have no intention of becoming romantically involved with...with someone like you!"  
  
Kagome stopped short at the bottom of the stairs, seeing the man's reaction to Sango's last comment. He looked somewhat taken aback, and genuinely hurt. There was a pain in his eyes that Kagome had never seen there before. Sango, having turned away to continue setting tables, couldn't see it, but she seemed a bit uncomfortable with the heavy silence that settled upon the room. Kagome coughed lightly to alert them of her presence, then entered the room as if she hadn't heard their previous conversation.  
  
"Miroku!" she contrived to act surprised, "What are you doing here at this time of day?"  
  
He tore his eyes from Sango's back and gave Kagome a half-hearted smile, his eyes betraying the hurt he still felt. "Oh, nothing in particular. Just stopping by. Actually, I was just leaving." Sango still refused to look at him, trying very hard to pretend he wasn't there.  
  
Kagome smiled comfortingly, seeing that he knew she'd heard them, and said, "Well it's nice to see you anytime." Then, remembering her patient upstairs, she added, "Did Sango tell you about our visitor?"  
  
He nodded, "Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll find out all I can. It might help if-" he stopped short when they heard a noise coming from upstairs. A moment later Inuyasha appeared, shirtless and looking grumpy as ever. His left arm was kept bent at his side, but he seemed to be walking much better.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kagome scolded, "I told you to rest!"  
  
"And I told you I was fine!" he snapped back, his bad mood and frustration with his injuries making him shorter of temper than usual.  
  
"May I assume this is he?" Miroku cut into the conversation, noting the man's name, as it would aid in his research.  
  
Kagome nodded curtly, then returned her attention to the hanyou. "You'll only aggravate your wounds this way, and they'll take longer to heal."  
  
"Look, I don't need you to tell me what to do, wench," he insisted, trying valiantly to keep a reign on his temper. "It's just a few bumps and bruises; I'll be healed and out of here in no time, alright?"  
  
"Not if you refuse to sit still! Honestly, I have never met anyone so frustrating as-"  
  
"If I may interrupt..." Miroku began, and the pair turned on him with annoyance.  
  
"What?" they snapped in unison.  
  
"Uh...nothing," he shrank a bit under their matching glares, "Never mind, just carry on, and I'll be going." With one last glance at Sango, who was still ignoring him, he left.  
  
Kagome rounded on Inuyasha. "Listen you, as long as you are staying here, you will do as I say. Is that clear? Now I am ordering you to get back to bed!" To emphasize her statement she pointed sternly in the direction of the stairs. He scowled at her fiercely and she scowled right back, unwavering. Part of him was tempted to grab his stuff and storm out, but he knew that he had nowhere else to go. Wasn't it just his luck to have ended up in this particular cafe with such a damned annoying bitch for a proprietress? Finally he relented and, with a growl, headed back upstairs, making as much noise as possible.  
  
When he was gone, Kagome heaved a sigh and turned to find Sango watching her, eyebrows raised.  
  
"Good god, that man is difficult," the black-haired woman muttered.  
  
"If he's that bad why do you keep taking care of him? Throw him out for heaven's sake."  
  
Kagome rested her forearms on the counter, "I can't do that Sango. He's such an arrogant ass, he'd probably get himself shot. That is if he didn't bleed to death or something." She sighed again, "I don't know, I guess I'm just a softie."  
  
Her friend smiled, "That's for sure. If it were me, I'd have gotten rid of him the minute he woke up." Then her expression turned serious as she added, "Just remember, in our business, soft heartedness can be fatal. If you're not careful, you could get us both killed."  
  
Kagome met the woman's warning gaze. "I know," she replied grimly.  
  
* * *  
  
Inuyasha was officially and thoroughly bored. For almost two days now he'd been 'confined to quarters' by that obstinate woman. His arm had pretty much healed, and the gash in his side was scabbing over, though his ribs were still a bit sore. Even a hanyou needed a bit of time to recover from injuries as extensive as his. But now the pain was nearly gone; he was just bored out of his mind.  
  
He wasn't used to being cooped up like this. The only company he ever got was Kagome, and occasionally Sango, but both were usually busy with the task of running the restaurant downstairs. Besides, though he really did try to be civil, his frustration at being incapacitated caused him to be particularly edgy, and when Kagome did come up they usually argued.  
  
He stretched his left arm out before him, testing it and wiggling his fingers. A bit stiff yet, but in good enough shape. With a quick glance at the door, listening for the sound of approaching footsteps, Inuyasha pushed himself up to a sitting position and climbed out of bed. He ambled over to the wooden vanity on the wall opposite and began poking through the drawers for no particular reason.  
  
There was a mess of old jewelry in the top drawer, most of it looking as though it were quite out of fashion -- not that he was an expert on the subject. In another, he came across a stack of handkerchiefs and a half a bottle of old perfume. Eventually, tucked in the back of one of the little storage compartments, he uncovered something of interest: an old leather-bound diary.  
  
He cast another look in the direction of the door before going back to sit on the bed, book in hand. At the very least he'd have something to do for a while, and who knew, maybe the owner of the diary had led some sort of exiting double life or had a juicy affair. Hell, even a trip to the market would be better than this. He was very, _very_ bored. Keeping an ear out for Kagome, he opened the diary to a random page.  
  
_November 4, 1936  
_ _Dear Diary,  
  
Today I met the man I'm going to marry._  
  
He snorted. _How cliche. Women -- so sappy. _Shaking his head, he continued reading.  
  
_He was standing just outside the library when I was on my way in to do some studying for the exams next week. I wouldn't have noticed him, ordinarily. In fact I didn't; that's why I ran into him. But he was so nice about it, even helping me to pick up the books I'd dropped. Then he smiled this sweet, genuine smile, and I fell in love on the spot!  
Afterward, he asked me out for a bit to eat and I gladly accepted. We had the most wonderful conversation. He told me his name is Hojo, and he plans to be a doctor eventually. Isn't that exciting? I hope I wasn't too much of a bore for him. He's so very smart and polite, I was afraid I wasn't exactly holding up my end of the conversation. He kept quoting Shakespeare and Chaucer and Voltaire, and all I could do was nod. But he didn't do it in an arrogant sort of way, really; it just seemed natural for him.  
I hope he asks me out again.  
-- Kagome_  
  
Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. Kagome? Who would have guessed that such an irritating and trying woman could have developed from a frivolous schoolgirl?  
  
He was about to turn the page and continue when the sound of someone coming up the stairs reached his ears. He hastily stuffed the diary into the drawer of the nightstand and slipped under the covers, hoping to avoid another argument. Sure enough, a moment later Kagome appeared in the doorway with a tray of food.  
  
"Good afternoon," she greeted him cheerily, mostly because she knew it would annoy him.  
  
"Mm," he grunted, pushing himself up to sit, as though he had only just woken up. She delivered the tray, and as she straightened up, caught the pensive expression he was fixing her with.  
  
Frowning a bit, she eyed him suspiciously, "What?"  
  
He shook himself mentally and said, "Nothing," quickly diverting his attention to the meal she had placed before him.  
  
She watched him for a moment, but he continued to ignore her, so she turned to leave. When she reached the door, she cast a final glance back over her shoulder, then shook her head and left.  
  
When she was gone, he paused his eating and stared after her, thoughts returned to the diary. _Interesting..._  
  
* * *

A/N: Cool! You know when I started the scene about the diary I really had no idea where I was going with it. Right up until he found it _I_ didn't even know what he was going to find. And it's good because I think I've figured out how to solve a problem I've been having with something later on, but I'd better shut up before I give something away. Please review! (like you haven't heard that a million times…)

P.S. If you noticed, I slipped a "–chan" in there somewhere, even though they're supposed to be in France. I just couldn't resist; it sounds natural that way to me now. Anyway, I figured since I'm writing in English when the characters are actually speaking French (at least when Inuyasha's not involved), it was okay. 

    Also, just to clear up the linguistic issue once and for all, assume Inuyasha speaks French, just not very well, and the other principal characters (unless otherwise indicated) speak English for his benefit when he's there. When they talk amongst themselves, they speak French. Except, that is, when talking to German soldiers and such, in which case they speak German (if they can). Wow, that's even more confusing. Well, I'll indicate it in the story if language is an issue anywhere. But bottom line, Kagome, at least, speaks all three languages fluently.


	3. Unexpected Encounters

Author's Note: Thank you so much everyone! I'm glad there's such a positive response to this and that you guys don't think the story is too predictable or anything (I'm always afraid that my stories are predictable because _I_ know where they're going). Also I was surprised to see so many WWII fans/aficionados. It's one of my favorite historical periods, second only to the Middle Ages (weird, huh?), but I have to admit I'm a bit of a ditz when it comes to the technical aspects of it. I'm more of a social/cultural history person (hence my descriptions of people's clothes and hair). I did do a tiny bit of research, but only to get the timing right. On the planes and things I've had to rely on my techno babble skills ;)

    Anyway, to those of you who submitted advice on the planes and stuff, thank you! That should come in very handy, and if you know of anything else that might be of use (e.g. weapons, communications, etc.) help would be much appreciated, particularly if there are any experts on the workings of the Resistance and the Underground, since most of my info comes from _Hogan's Heroes._ Oh, and please correct me if I get stuff wrong, and I'll do my best to rectify it. Finally I have to reply to a few reviews specifically (I won't do this every time, I promise. I know these can get a bit tedious, especially if you haven't read the reviews. Feel free to skip if you like.)

JPH: Thanks! I may take you up on that offer in the future.

Sky77: Yeah, you don't see many European settings out there do you? I was a bit wary about trying it myself, but I think it works. I'm toying with a few ideas for the European Middle Ages, but we'll see.

Code name: Anrui Yuy: Thanks. I've been trying to recall the French class I had last year, but my vocabulary is limited (and my grammar sucks) so a translator will help!

Ice-2k4: Yeah, we Americans are pretty cool once you get to know us! ;)

EH: I know what you mean about not being able to let it slip – stuff like that bugs me too. I'm a born nitpicker (my parents are lawyers; it's in my blood)! Thanks for the correction and feel free to call me on any others.

Fallen-Snow: I agree about Hojo – but don't worry, I'm not done yet…

Anubaka: Thank you so much!! Your review totally made my day! No, I'm afraid I'm not professional yet; but who knows, maybe someday…(fingers crossed) That would be awesome!

Disclaimer: Good, I remembered this time. Nope still don't own him, but the adoption papers are on their way…

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 3: Unexpected Encounters

There came a sharp knock at the door, causing Kouga to look up from the reports he had been combing through. Officer reports always put him in a bad mood; he had never been much for the paper-pushing aspects of the military, instead preferring strategy and intrigue. But these endless piles of papers were, he knew, necessary to the success of any battle plan -- without them, the army would be unable to function.  
  
But that didn't mean he had to like it.  
  
With little attempt to hide his current state of annoyance, he responded with a simple, "Come."  
  
The door opened and in came one of Kouga's officers, walking with great purpose up to the desk, before saluting in a crisp, military fashion.  
  
"Hile Hitler."  
  
Kouga returned the salute with a raise of the hand as he stood. He didn't like it when his officers towered over him, because it seemed to diminish his authority somehow. It was necessary for him, as a superior officer, to be conscious of such things at all times; a loss of authority could be fatal. "You have something to report, Major?"  
  
"Yes Sir. We have completed our search of the area surrounding the aircraft and have found nothing," the man replied.  
  
Kouga's eyes narrowed, his ill temper causing him to become particularly frustrated at this news. He clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace slowly. "Have you any clues as to where the pilot might have gone?"  
  
"Not exactly sir. From the amount of blood staining the cockpit, he should not have gotten far, yet there is no trace of a body. Apparently he was intelligent enough to dispose of any evidence that might lead to his identity. For all we know he might very well be here in Asile, right under our noses. There is no way to tell."  
  
A low growl rose in the Colonels throat. He had no intention of allowing some errant American 'flyboy' elude him. Not once had his men failed to capture a downed pilot and he would be damned if this one would escape them and ruin his record just before General Naraku was due to arrive. "Find him," he said, "I don't care how long it takes, but I will not let this cur disgrace us in the eyes of the General."  
  
The Major responded with a curt nod and a salute, before turning and walking briskly out of the office, leaving Kouga alone with his thoughts.  
  
The wolf demon settled into his chair once more, kneading his forehead with his hands in an attempt to eliminate the growing ache that seemed to emanate from his temples. The stress was beginning to take its toll on him. Sighing in defeat, he shoved the stack of reports across the desk to be dealt with later. For now, he knew just the remedy to relieve his tension.  
  
He reached for the phone, placing it to his ear and dialing the familiar number, then waiting for that lilting voice to appear on the other end.  
  
"Ah, Kagome," he began when she answered, "How would you like to come over this evening..."  
  
* * *  
  
Kagome heaved a weary sigh as she hung up the phone. _Tonight...again? That's the third time in the last week he's called me, and I can't very well refuse him. But I'm so tired...I have to get some sleep here somewhere..._  
  
She shook her head and proceeded upstairs to the room Inuyasha was staying in, where she'd been headed in the first place. As usual she found him lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, looking utterly bored. When she entered, his eyes flicked to hers with a disgruntled expression in them. She sighed again.  
  
"All right, Inuyasha," she said as though speaking to a temperamental child, "lets get those bandages off and I'll let you get out of bed." He raised his eyebrows at that as he moved to sit up.  
  
"Finally," he growled, and she sent him a small glare, but let it pass as she took a seat beside the bed.  
  
He tried very hard not to recoil when her hands brushed once again over the flesh of his chest. In the past few days it had happened countless times when she went to change his bandages, but somehow he never really could get used to it.  
  
Trying to distract himself, he inquired, with only token gruffness in his voice, "How'd you learn this stuff anyway?"  
  
She looked up at him, pausing for a moment as she seemed to consider her answer, but then dropped her gaze once again to his side as she said quietly, "I studied it a bit in school."   
  
From the tone of her voice Inuyasha got the impression that there was something she wasn't saying, but before he could pursue the matter she leaned back with a slight smile, saying, "There, all done." As she cleaned up her supplies she said, "So, how about telling me how you got those injuries in the first place, hmm?"  
  
His brow furrowed, but he knew that since he was healed he had no more leverage to continue staying with them. If he didn't cooperate at least a little he'd find himself thrown out on his ear, and frankly becoming a beggar in a foreign country, not to mention a war zone, was not an appealing prospect. He'd have to tell her something. But if they were still looking for him...  
  
"I was traveling and I got caught in a crossfire," he lied, trying to avoid details he would have to remember later, "I guess I didn't realize I was in a military zone. Anyway, a bomb went off nearby and I was thrown into a tree."  
  
She nodded silently, evaluating his story. It wasn't exactly unlikely -- she had heard of similar occurrences -- but still, she was not inclined to assume that it was true. Until she had evidence to the contrary, however, she decided to accept it.  
  
Inuyasha, who had been staring into space as she pondered, then asked, on a completely different subject, "Where are we exactly? I got pretty turned around when I...got injured and I was sort of just running blindly during the night."  
  
Kagome smiled, realizing that he had been there for nearly a week and still didn't know where he was. "This village is called 'Asile'-"  
  
"Yeah, I saw the sign when I got here," he interjected.  
  
"Right. Well, we're in sort of the northwestern part of France, near the border of Brittany. Not too close to the sea, though," she added. It was difficult to explain, not knowing if he would recognize French place names. He nodded slowly, seeming to consider this carefully, as if trying to calculate something. Seeing that he was lost in thought, she got up to leave. "Well, I have a ton of things I need to do; I'll see you later," she muttered, and once again she was gone.  
  
* * *  
  
Sango paused before her mirror, pinning a couple of loose strands of chestnut hair back into the tidy arrangement at the base of her neck. She'd been a bit fidgety for the past couple of days, since Miroku had last visited. A feeling of guilt seemed to settle in the pit of her stomach whenever she thought of it. How could she have been so blunt?  
  
Beginning to pace back and forth across the carpet, her thoughts returned once again to that conversation. If there was one thing she despised, it was doing something she regretted and being unable to make it right. But she didn't even know where he was; he hadn't returned since that day and they had no way of contacting him -- _he_ was the contact.  
  
She slumped into a nearby chair, leaning an elbow on the table beside her and chewing lightly on one of her nails. It was a nervous habit she'd picked up as a child and, though she had often tried, she'd never been able to rid herself of it. Noticing the subconscious action she scowled inwardly and stood with a small noise of frustration, smoothing out her casual black slacks and heading off to find something with which to distract herself.  
  
What she found, when she appeared in the dining room of the cafe, was Kagome. There were only a few customers at the moment, since it was around four o'clock in the afternoon, so Kagome had been handling them on her own. Promptly, Sango grabbed an apron and headed into the kitchen to begin filling orders.  
  
A moment later, Kagome appeared in the doorway, starting slightly when she saw her friend at the stove, having been distracted when Sango had passed through the room.  
  
"Oh -- hi Sango. I thought you were upstairs," she began inquiringly, "You handled the last shift."  
  
The woman didn't look up, but her voice betrayed her agitation, "I-I was just bored I guess. Needed something to do with my hands."  
  
Kagome frowned, "Is something wrong?"  
  
"No," she replied, a little too quickly, and the raven-haired young woman understood.  
  
"Yes it is. You've been just a little off color for a few days now," she observed, "ever since...Miroku left. Is that it?"  
  
"What makes you say that?" Sango's voice wavered a bit, even as she contrived to sound casual and offhand. Kagome, not fooled for a second, set aside the tray she'd been carrying and crossed over to her friend. Reluctantly, Sango returned Kagome's gaze.  
  
"Really Sango, I know you better than that," she said, causing the woman in question to straighten a bit defensively before resigning herself.  
  
She sighed, "I...I just...I shouldn't have said what I did. I guess I was just getting so frustrated with the way he's always hitting on me and I...I went too far." Moving to sit at the small wooden table in the middle of the room, she placed her head in her hands. Kagome followed, but remained silent, listening as her friend unburdened herself.  
  
"It's just so...so frustrating the way he acts all the time. Though, honestly, I really didn't think it would hurt him as much as it did. Then again, I guess...part of me wanted to hurt him -- like he hurts me."  
  
Kagome's brow furrowed slightly, "How?"  
  
"Oh please, Kagome, he hits on everyone," she muttered sardonically, "He'll take a shot at any female that crosses his path. It's just so...I mean I..."  
  
Then, all at once, Kagome began to comprehend the full extent of the issue. Trying to be as delicate as possible, she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "You have feelings for him, don't you."  
  
Pain flooded into Sango's eyes, resisting her efforts to hide it. Finally, she nodded, whispering, "Yeah, I do," before tears welled up and began to overflow. She hastened to wipe them away, not one given to crying in moments of weakness, but Kagome put a comforting arm around her and told her to let it out. Unable to hold back any longer, she succumbed.  
  
* * *  
  
1:06 a.m., the clock read. Standing close to the door to his room, Inuyasha listened carefully to see that the others were asleep. He could hear Sango snoring lightly from down the hall, but apparently Kagome had not returned home for the evening. This puzzled him a bit -- what did she do in the evenings all the time? -- but he shrugged it off in favor of the task at hand.  
  
Careful to keep as quiet as possible, so not to wake Sango, he eased the door open and tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs to the cafe. He paused for a moment, thinking, as he tried to remember where he'd hidden it. Then it came to him, and he bent down behind the counter and began feeling around the lowest shelf for his things.  
  
The shelf was quite dusty and virtually empty, since it was so inconveniently situated. That was why he'd chosen it. It was unlikely that anyone would stumble across his belongings. Finally, his hand brushed against cool metal, and he smiled in relief as he pulled out the gun and the few essential possessions he always carried with him on his flights. Thankfully, he'd thought to stash them there the night he arrived in case he was caught; he'd have had one hell of a time explaining the gun, much less convincing Kagome to allow him to stay, if he'd kept it with him. Most people wouldn't want an armed soldier, who was being hunted by Nazis, staying in their guest room. Now that Kagome was satisfied with his state of health and allowed him to move about freely, it was safe for him to reclaim them.  
  
He secured the gun behind him, in the waist of his pants, beneath the white, cotton, button-down shirt that Kagome had given him to replace his bloodstained one, and slipped the other effects into his pocket. Just as he was standing up, he heard the lock click and whirled around to see Kagome stepping in the door.  
  
She gasped at the shadowy figure just barely visible across the dark cafe, behind the counter, and flipped on the light. "Oh," she exhaled, calming herself a bit, "It's just you." Then her brow lowered slightly at the look on his face. He wore the expression of a kid who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "What are you doing down here in the middle of the night?" she inquired in mild suspicion.  
  
He panicked slightly, trying to think of something better than 'I just came to get my gun,' before saying, "Uh, nothing." Then he had an inspiration, turning her own question against her, "What are you doing coming home so late? Where have you been?"   
  
It had the desired effect, causing her to stutter a moment and then reply simply, if cryptically, "None of your business." But she did not resume questioning him. Instead she turned and headed for the stairs, muttering, "Goodnight Inuyasha."  
  
"Goodnight," he returned distractedly. He was glad she had dropped the matter of what he'd been doing, but oddly her answer to his question left him feeling...uneasy. He hadn't expected her to tell him, but the way she replied turned his mild curiosity into an acute concern. Some unidentifiable..._something_ seemed to knot in the pit of his stomach. He had to find out where she was going...somehow.  
  
* * *  
  
Kagome entered her room and shut the door behind her, leaning back against it as her thoughts drifted downstairs to her encounter with Inuyasha. What had he been doing, skulking in the shadows at this hour? And why had he looked so guilty and panicked when she'd arrived and caught him at it? She sighed and shrugged out of her coat, draping it and her purse over the back of a chair and starting to undress.  
  
She gave a small, derisive snicker when she noticed that her shirt had been mis-buttoned. Well, she had been pretty tired when she'd left Kouga's place. She never stayed there overnight, supposedly to hide the nature of their relationship from the other villagers and keep things 'just between them.' The truth was quite simply that she wished to spend as little time with the man as necessary, so she used pretense as an excuse to go home afterward. Kagome knew that nearly everyone in town was aware of her relationship with Kouga. Everyone, that is, except the man currently staying under her own roof.  
  
Having finished changing into her nightclothes she climbed wearily into bed, desperate for a nice long sleep. Unfortunately, her mind seemed to have other ideas. It kept drifting back to the aforementioned houseguest. Why hadn't she told him where she'd been? Obviously she couldn't tell him the real reason she was dating Kouga, but everyone knew where she went at night. Why should this man be any different? Why did she feel so...guilty? It was ridiculous.  
  
She rolled over restlessly, burying her cheek in the pillow and closing her eyes, determined to chase all thoughts of that irritating man from her mind and get some sleep. But, stubborn as ever, Inuyasha did not seem to want to go.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning Inuyasha awoke at around ten. He'd never been one to get up at the crack of dawn, which had been a bit of a problem for him in the military, but he'd gotten used to it. Now that he was not exactly bound by their rules he took great pleasure in sleeping as late as he liked.  
  
Today, however, he had no intention of lying about. He had work to do if he was to find a way to get out of this place before the Germans caught on to him and he found himself in a cell somewhere. So, with unusual promptness, he dragged himself out of bed and, briefly checking that his effects were still safely tucked away in the drawer in which he'd first found the diary, headed off to take a shower.  
  
* * *  
  
Kagome yawned sleepily, wrapping her bathrobe around her as she trudged down the hall in the direction of the bathroom. She could hear the shower running, but figured it was only Sango, since Inuyasha was never up before noon, and therefore didn't hesitate to go in to brush her teeth.  
  
"Sorry Sango I- Ahhh!" she screamed when she caught sight of a buck-naked Inuyasha just stepping out of the shower. He gave a shout of surprise and quickly grabbed at the shower curtain in an attempt to cover himself.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he barked, a slight blush accompanying his irritable glare.  
  
"I, uh," she tried to pull herself together but the words _'God, he looks good,'_ kept running through her head, "S-sorry, I thought it was Sango and I needed to get...Why didn't you lock the door?!" she demanded, covering her embarrassment with anger.  
  
"The lock's broken!"  
  
"Well you should've...put up a sign or-or something!" she finished lamely, exiting and slamming the door behind her. Inuyasha stared after her. He wasn't quite sure why, but he felt a self-satisfied smirk slide across his face when he recalled the blush she'd had on hers at the sight of him.  
  
Outside, Kagome hurried back down the hall and into her bedroom, closing the door firmly as if to lock out the incident. She was now wide-awake and unable to erase the image of him from her mind's eye. She groaned and pressed her forehead against the smooth wood of the door. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ she thought plaintively. _He could be anyone, anyone at all. He could be a spy, for god's sake! I can't let things get any more complicated than they already are, and that man has complication written all over him.  
_  
* * *  
  
The sky was grey and overcast, telling of the rain that was likely to be on its way. Inuyasha strolled down the cobble-stoned street, protected from the slight chill that lingered in the air by his brown leather coat. He had his hair tucked inside it, partly for warmth, but mostly because it was a bit too noticeable. With his ears, he could do little but keep them laid back, partially hidden in his silvery locks.  
  
He wasn't too worried about being spotted, to tell the truth, since he didn't really look much like your average American soldier. Being a lieutenant in the air force, not to mention one of the best pilots in his unit, he'd been given a little slack from his commander with respect to the dress code. He supposed it also helped that his half brother was a general, although Sesshomaru and he despised each other. But his commander wasn't aware of that little detail, and Inuyasha had strategically neglected to mention it.   
  
As a result, he'd been able to dodge the GI haircut (which, by the way, Sesshomaru had declined as well), and he dressed as he pleased, as long as his clothes at least resembled the standard uniform. Hence his coat was more of a suede than the usual heavy leather lined with fleece, like most flight jackets. He refused to be without his, considering it almost like a sort of armor, since it had never been damaged while he wore it. It was one of those silly superstitious things that he would never admit to anyone but himself.  
  
He kept an eye out for soldiers nonetheless, in case he'd made a mistake somewhere and left some way for them to identify him. But what he was really looking for was a way home. If he could get a better idea of where he was, he might be able to remember the location of an allied base nearby or something. Maybe he could get hold of a radio and contact them, but without code frequencies that could be very dangerous. The best thing would be if he could contact the Resistance, but he hadn't the foggiest idea how to go about that.  
  
Turning a corner onto one of the larger streets, he stopped short and ducked back behind the edge of the building. Trying, still, to look casual he leaned against the wall close to the edge to observe what he had just seen. Across the square was a large villa, built of stone, easily the most prestigious establishment in the town and most likely the former home of the mayor or something. Now, however, outside the entryway were ranks of Nazi officers and soldiers, standing at attention. They appeared to be waiting to welcome whoever was in the large black sedan that had just pulled up in front.  
  
Inuyasha's curiosity rooted him to the spot. _Must be someone pretty important_, he thought, adding jokingly with an inward smirk, _Hitler himself perhaps?_  
  
Out stepped a tall, gaunt, and thoroughly intimidating figure, clad in the crisp, gray uniform of a Nazi general. One thing was for sure: this was not Hitler. His boots and gloves were black as ebony, matching his long, wavy hair. As the man glanced around, his expression cold as stone, Inuyasha noticed that his eyes, which seemed to draw into them all that they fixed with their icy gaze, had irises the color of blood.  
  
Distracted by the demeanor of the general, he almost didn't notice the woman climbing out of the car behind him. When he did, it made his blood run cold.  
  
"Ki-Kikyo..." he breathed.

A/N: Don't you just love cliffhangers?

    Hey, does anyone know how to spell 'hile' as in 'hile Hitler'? I took a guess, but I think it's technically a German word so I can't find it in the dictionary.

    When Kouga was grumping about Inuyasha ruining his perfect record I had the crazy urge to give him a monocle and a riding crop and have him yell "Hogaaan!" laughing If you've seen _Hogan's Heroes_, you probably know what I'm talking about. I you haven't, you should; it's hilarious!

    Btw, I'll probably put this on my profile soon but if any of you have stories that you need proofread, feel free to email them to me. I love editing! Ranma and Inuyasha stories are my specialty, of course, because I know the characters, but I'm happy to read others for grammar, spelling, word choice, and sentence construction purposes. I know from experience that grammar and spell checkers can be misleading because they don't take the context into account. Anyway, if you do send me something, make sure you put 'fanfic' or something in the subject so I don't delete it by accident.

    TTFN! (ta ta for now!)


	4. Bittersweet

Author's Note: Okay, I know I haven't posted for two weeks, and for that I apologize. Usually I post once a week, and I actually wrote this chapter last weekend, but because I couldn't get to the computer I usually post from I had to use another instead, and I also went back and did a slight rewrite of a couple parts. Anyway, the result is that this chapter is slightly longer than most, so I hope that makes up for it!

    Thanks for all the reviews as always; glad people seem to be enjoying the story! And in answer to people who've asked about the diary, don't worry, I'm not done with that yet. There's more on that coming relatively soon.

    Oh, and as far as the 'Heil Hitler' thing, I got conflicting responses, but this is the one that looked right to me, so this is the one I'll use from now on. But if anyone out there happens to be German and actually knows, feel free to correct me!

    Alright, enough talk; here's the chappie!

Missing in Action 

Chapter 4: Bittersweet

_ "Hey there, Dollface," Inuyasha grinned in what was supposed to be an irresistibly boyish sort of way. The woman sitting at the bar ignored him even as he leaned against it, right next to her.  
  
He wouldn't give up that easily. Glancing back toward his table, he saw his friends crowded around with their beers, watching intently, silly, half-drunken grins on their faces. No way was he going to lose twenty bucks to those jackasses. He'd melt the Ice Queen, as they had come to call her, this time for sure.  
  
"Oh come on Baby, let me buy you a drink."  
  
She arched one elegant eyebrow as she turned to look at him disdainfully. "No thank you," she replied in an icy tone.  
  
His eyes narrowed in frustration and he straightened, crossing his arms. Their gazes met as they stared each other down, neither one willing to blink first. Eventually, she removed herself from the contest by elegantly lifting her chin, not in defeat but in dismissal, and casting her eyes over to the gang of air force men crowded over in the corner.  
  
"Are those your friends?" she asked with a sort of patronizing politeness that deepened his scowl.  
  
"Yeah," he grunted as he tried to think of a new tactic.  
  
Her gaze flicked back to him, with an almost conspiratorial look in them. "Tell you what -- I'll go along with it if you give me half of the winnings. Deal?" she offered, delighting in the dumbstruck expression that appeared on his face.  
  
Getting over his surprise, he returned her smirk with a nod, "Deal. Now how about that drink?"  
  
"Be my guest," she answered, indicating the stool next to her.  
  
They could both hear the men in the corner snickering and whispering things like "He did it!" as Inuyasha took a seat.  
  
"So what's your name?" he asked.  
  
She glanced over at him, pausing in consideration before answering, "Kikyo."_  
  
_* * *_  
  
_ Caught up in the moment, Inuyasha ran his hand through the long, obsidian tresses of the woman before him, letting it come to rest lightly on her cheek. To his surprise she made no move to pull away, as she had in the past. She merely gazed back at him, her eyes quietly seductive, almost encouraging, and her expression characteristically calm.  
  
"Kikyo," he whispered, emboldened by her lack of resistance, "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met..."  
  
Her lips curved upward and Inuyasha could no longer resist. He captured her mouth with his, as he'd be aching to do for weeks, since the day he'd met her in that bar. She accepted him willingly, allowing him to curl his arms around her waist as she grasped his shoulders to deepen the kiss.  
  
"Inuyasha..." she breathed, before they were swept up once again, this time letting the kiss wipe away all remnants of rational thought.  
_  
_* * *  
_  
_He leaned against the wall of an old building, damaged beyond repair in the bombings of the city that had occurred during the Battle of Britain. The street surrounding him was quite empty since the area had little to offer, having been virtually destroyed a few years previous. His eyes were unfocused as he absently inhaled from his cigarette, trying to figure out how to break the bad news to Kikyo.  
  
They'd been together now for almost six months. Somehow it didn't seem like it had been that long. He'd been away for short periods on raids, but for most of that time he'd been stationed here in London in order to protect the city from possible German air raids. Kikyo worked at the air base -- she was a lieutenant in the British forces.  
  
All too soon the woman in question appeared around the corner and came up to him. It was their usual meeting spot after work, from which they would often go out and have a drink or something. But not tonight.  
  
"Hi," she said with a smile and leaned up to kiss him briefly.  
  
"Hi," he replied, and she frowned in concern at his dour tone. Only then did she notice that his fiery golden eyes were troubled and grim.  
  
Her voice became cautious now, foreboding, "What's the matter?"  
  
He had trouble meeting her eyes, afraid she would see his pain. But he had to tell her immediately, because he knew he might never see her again. "Kikyo," he began, forcing himself to look at her, "I've been transferred away from here. I have to leave for North Africa...tonight. Apparently there's some big new air base there and I've had my turn here, away from the fighting."  
  
Her eyes darkened as she began to comprehend what he was saying. "I understand," she said roughly, dropping her gaze to the pavement.  
  
But he wasn't finished. He lifted her chin to bring her eyes to his. "I love you," he said fiercely, "You have to know that. I...I want to marry you when this is all over. Please...will you wait for me?"  
  
Her eyes flooded with a happiness greater than he had ever seen her express, lips curved in a glowing smile. "I thought you'd never ask," she whispered, "Of course I'll wait...I'll wait for you forever. I love you, Inuyasha."  
  
Overcome with relief, he drew her into his arms and kissed her deeply, sealing the promise between them. When he released her he said, "I don't have a ring or anything..."  
  
"That doesn't matter," she assured him, "Just make sure you come back to me, safe and sound."  
  
"I will. I promise you."  
  
_* * *  
  
Inuyasha stared bitterly into space as he sat on his bed in the apartment above the cafe, thinking about Kikyo. He didn't exactly remember how he'd gotten home from the square, since he'd been a bit preoccupied at the time, but somehow he'd managed to make his way back.  
  
With a sigh he stood, ambled over to the drawer in which he'd hidden his possessions, and fished around inside it for the particular item he was looking for.  
  
It was a well-worn piece of paper, folded and somewhat dirty, for he'd been carrying it around in his pocket for months, taking it out every once in awhile to peruse it again and again. Settling heavily back down upon the bed, he unfolded the letter and studied it's contents with a dull expression on his face, though he'd long since memorized them by heart.  
  
_My dearest Inuyasha,  
  
I can't believe I'm writing this to you in a letter, but I can't go on like this and I can't think of any other way. I've been doing a lot of thinking these past few months. We've grown apart since we last saw each other; you must have sensed it. I know I promised that I would wait for you, that we would be married as soon as the war is over, but that was a foolish promise made in the heat of the moment, and it would be a mistake for us to be bound by it.  
  
Inuyasha, I will always treasure our time together, but the love that we once shared has been sundered by time and distance. I don't love you anymore. I wonder sometimes if I ever truly did, or if I was merely blinded by your advances toward me. Now, in your absence, I have found someone else; someone who completes me, gives my life purpose. He has a unique vision of hope for a dying world, a vision that I want to share. All that we ever gave each other, you and I, was heartache. Search your feelings; you know it to be true as well as I do.  
  
I hope that you can be happy for me. Separation is the nature of war, Inuyasha, and relationships such as ours are among its casualties. Do not try to contact me; I'm leaving London with him, to aid him in his work, and I do not plan to return.  
  
Goodbye,  
Kikyo  
_  
His gaze hardened and his jaw clenched as he felt once again the emptiness that she had left within his soul. Now, having seen her again, that emptiness was tinted with a fresh resentment. All this time he'd read and reread her letter, searching for a loophole, something to tell him that she didn't really mean it. He'd been certain that if he could just get back to her he could make her see that she still loved him, that he would be the one to make her happy. Thoughts of her had kept him going in times when it seemed that all hope was lost.  
  
But now everything was different. With his newfound knowledge of this man she had supposedly fallen in love with, he saw in her letter what he had not seen before. How he "gave her life purpose," with his "unique vision of hope for a dying world," and she left London "to aid him in his work." He couldn't believe it; he'd been cast aside because she fell in love with a Nazi. Of all the things he might have expected from her, he never would have expected that. The Kikyo he knew was cold at times, but good and kind. She could never be corrupted by such vile, twisted ideas about the natural order of the world.  
  
Yet it was true; she'd all but told him so in that letter, and now that he'd seen her with that general, he knew it. And to think that he had actually convinced himself that he could win her back! Maybe she was right in the first place -- it was a foolish promise.  
  
Still, his mind wanted to linger over the memories he had of her, as much as it pained him to do so. He couldn't ignore the fact that he had loved her then, and after all that had transpired, he heart longed for her still. All he saw were her beautiful eyes gazing up at him as she promised that they would be married when the war was over. He just couldn't see that same girl telling him that it was over, that she had fallen for someone else. Was it possible to love someone and hate them at the same time?  
  
* * *  
  
Naraku sat comfortably in an armchair next to the fire in the living room of the villa. He took a lazy drag of his cigar as he observed the room approvingly.  
  
It was quaintly decorated with some rather mixed vintage, antique furniture. The dark wood floor sported a deep scarlet Persian rug embroidered in gold with some unidentifiable eastern-style symbols. On the walls hung several treasured paintings, and other artistic oddities were presented strategically about the room.   
  
Kouga himself had never had much of an appetite for such trinkets, but many of his superiors did. He had discovered that displaying a few masterpieces could do wonders for his career. They were more like trophies to him, symbols of victories over the towns and cities he had acquired them from.  
  
Apparently they had served their purpose yet again, because Naraku soon commented, "You have quite a collection, Colonel."  
  
"Indeed," added Kikyo, who sat on the couch near the General. She too cast an appraising glance about the room, acknowledging it's artistic historical value, though the decor was not to her personal taste. From the tone of his voice she could tell that Naraku thought similarly.  
  
Kouga, on the other hand, was unaware of this subtlety. "Why thank you General," he replied with an ingratiating, yet professional smile, "They're just a few little treasures I managed to acquire as we moved across France. After all, it is our duty to preserve past culture for the future generations of the Fatherland."  
  
"Quite so," said Naraku, his eyes not betraying the slightest emotion.  
  
"Well, to what do I owe the honor of your visit, Sir? I assure you that my men are up to any task that you might wish to put us to."  
  
Naraku inhaled from his cigar once more before fixing his quiet gaze upon the wolf-demon. "You are a trusted officer in the army of the Fatherland," he said, seeing Kouga swell with pride, "It has been decided that you are the best man to be placed in charge of a new operation. Things are changing, Colonel; the enemy is making plans against us, and we cannot have that. You must uncover their spies. It is imperative that the French Resistance be eliminated if we are to quell their latest plans."  
  
"Would my men not be better put to use elsewhere, in combat?" Kouga questioned, longing to be spared from the unending flood of paperwork that came with this 'occupation' he had been charged with. Such an operation would only increase it.  
  
"We have many units fighting elsewhere, but that is not what is required of you at this time. Better to be here than to be fighting on the eastern front, I think you would find."  
  
'Not likely,' thought Kouga, irritably. But he had learned to suppress his aggressive tendencies, especially in the presence of superiors. "We have kept this area under the tightest of supervision, Sir. Surely you are aware of that. I would be very surprised if there were any Resistance members operating-"  
  
"Indeed you would Colonel Kouga. That is one of your faults; you are far too arrogant at times. Redouble your efforts. I am not impressed by words of self-gratification -- only by results. You will follow my orders and you will stamp out the Resistance. Is that clear?" he finished with a sinister raise of the eyebrow.  
  
Kouga narrowed his eyes, feeling a growl itch at the back of his throat, longing to be released. He did not care for this man one bit. But personal opinions were inconsequential in such cases. He would follow orders; he had no choice in the matter. "Yes, Sir."  
  
With a slight smirk of triumph, the General stood and turned to the woman, who had sat quietly observing the conversation. "Come, my dear Kikyo. We will retire to our rooms for the time being and leave the Colonel to his work."  
  
Kikyo returned his smile and took his offered arm, smoothing her neat black skirt and allowing him to escort her from the room.  
  
* * *  
  
She heard footsteps on the stairs behind her and turned from the table she was waiting to see Inuyasha appear. He looked unusually pensive and troubled, which concerned her. With an apology to the young couple at the table, who incidentally seemed more interested in each other than in ordering their dinner, she moved across the room toward him.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
He looked up in slight surprise, not having noticed her approach, and saw the concern in her eyes. Funny, he'd never noticed quite how much she resembled Kikyo, especially with her hair up in a bun like that. Sure he'd noticed similarities, but he hadn't really given it much thought since he'd been a bit too busy fighting with her.  
  
Eying the strange look he was giving her, she questioned him again. "Inuyasha, are you alright?"  
  
This snapped him out of his thoughts and he shook his head to clear it, saying, "Um...yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Of course I'm sure," he said, his voice growing irritated, though with much less conviction than she was used to. "Just drop it, okay?"  
  
She was not convinced in the slightest, but decided to let it go, since he obviously didn't wish to discuss the subject any further. "Okay. Well, I have to get back to work. Call me if you need me." She turned to leave, but Inuyasha caught her arm, and she turned back with a curious look in her eyes.  
  
"Let me help," he said, almost sheepishly. "Look, I'm not a freeloader. I want to work so I can repay you two for letting me stay here." He dropped his gaze and she smiled at his light embarrassment.  
  
"Go on in the kitchen and talk to Sango. She'll give you something to do."  
  
He nodded and headed off in that direction, unable to look at her. Her smile grew.  
  
"Inuyasha," she said, and he paused, looking over his shoulder, "Thanks."  
  
"Feh," was his oh-so-intelligent reply.  
  
* * *  
  
Stifling a yawn, the silver-haired hanyou slipped into his darkened room and flipped on the light. He'd stayed late downstairs to finish cleaning up so that the girls could get some sleep -- especially Kagome, who looked dead on her feet. Not surprising, considering she usually worked all day and stayed out all night.  
  
Speaking of her, Inuyasha suddenly recalled the little treasure of sorts he'd discovered in that old dresser several days ago. He'd meant to keep reading, but then Kagome had come in and he'd forgotten all about it. With any luck it was still...yep, right where he'd left it.  
  
With a wary glance at the door and a flick of his ear Inuyasha satisfied himself that both women were sound asleep, and retrieved the diary from the drawer, settling in to read further.  
  
Where had he left- ah! That was it! The one about that...Hobo, was it? The wimp she'd fallen in 'love' with at the library. He smirked in amusement, eager to read about how the little moron had dumped her and she'd cried her eyes out for a week until the next 'love of her life' came along. Little girls were so predictable.  
  
Flipping to the next entry after the one he'd left off on, he began to read.  
  
_November 5, 1936  
Dear Diary,  
  
Ugh, I feel absolutely horrible.  
  
_He smirked again triumphantly,_ Ha! Told you he dumped her!_ But it didn't last long.  
  
_I've got the most awful cramps because my period just-  
  
_"Whoa! Shit!" he jumped and nearly dropped the book in his haste to turn to a less...personal entry. _Okay, maybe not..._  
  
After pausing briefly to make sure there were no approaching footsteps in response to his shout, and to skim the new entry for key words, such as 'period' for instance, he continued.  
  
_November 20, 1936  
Dear Diary,  
  
"All is for the best in this, the best of all possible worlds." It's from Candide, by Voltaire. Hojo's been coaching me a bit. They're really quite fascinating, all these books he gives me to read. He promised that next week we could read Hamlet -- in English, the way it was written! I'm not sure I'm quite good enough with my English for Shakespeare yet, but Hojo says I'll do fine.  
  
He's so wonderful and sweet; I still can't believe he wants to spend so much time with me. Last weekend he took me to see a play -- Tartuffe, I think it was called. It was about this man who pretended to be holy in order to con a rich man into letting him stay at his house and basically run the place -- all in the name of God. But of course one day the man overreached himself by trying to seduce the rich man's wife, and he was cast out. It was fun to watch, but somehow I felt as if I didn't really understand what it was trying to say. Same with Candide -- maybe it's just a bit over my head.  
  
Oh well, it's fun anyway. Bye!  
-- Kagome  
  
_Inuyasha found himself frowning by the time he'd finished, and he wasn't entirely sure why. Part of it was perhaps disappointment that there had been no tragic wailing over lost 'love,' but it was more than that. Something had struck a chord with him in there. He'd read some of that kind of stuff himself, in high school, though he'd be damned if he'd understood any of it in the least; literature had never been his forte. But now he felt as if it was trying to tell him something -- it just wasn't speaking the right language.  
  
"Feh," he grunted dismissively and stuffed away the book, rolling over with the intention of going to sleep.  
  
But just before he drifted off, one line from the entry he'd just read echoed softly in his mind, stirring him awake ever so slightly. _'He's so wonderful and sweet...'   
  
I wonder where he is now... _Inuyasha mused absently, before slipping fully into unconsciousness.  
  
* * *  
  
It had been just over two weeks since this strange hanyou had shown up on her doorstep -- or rather, passed out on her floor due to massive blood loss. At least that was what the calendar claimed, but she'd sort of lost track of time lately, and it felt like she had known him longer than that.  
  
Still, as she was constantly having to remind herself, she really didn't know him all that well. She had no idea where he came from exactly, or what he was doing there. And she could tell that there had been something nagging at him for the past week or so, but every time she broached the subject with him he abruptly closed off and refused to talk about it. What on earth could he be hiding?  
  
It had started on the day that General Naraku had arrived; she'd found out about that from Kouga. That was another problem -- ever since then Kouga seemed to have stepped up security around town. She supposed that might be why Miroku hadn't shown up yet either. He must be having trouble getting through to them for fear of being caught. It was just as well, since Kouga hadn't been very forthcoming with her lately, due perhaps to the presence of the General. That did not, however, stop him from 'inviting' her to 'dinner' practically every other night. She could tell Inuyasha was getting suspicious...  
  
Closing her closet door, as if to cut off that particular train of thought before it led to something that she wasn't ready to confront, she turned to glance in the mirror. The cafe was closed today so she'd chosen a pair of comfortable stone-colored slacks and a fitted, light blue sweater, the sleeves of which were pushed up to her elbows. Normally she wore skirts, but on her days off she preferred pants in which she could move more easily, without having to worry about crossing her legs when she sat. Her hair hung freely for once, though she had curled it a bit so it wouldn't look too dull. Absently, she wondered when she had started becoming so concerned with her appearance, even when she didn't plan to go out anywhere. But she waved the thought away when she realized the answer brought her back to the subject she'd thought she'd escaped just moments ago.  
  
Much to her apprehension, she found that very 'subject' waiting for her when she made her way downstairs. Inuyasha looked up as she appeared, nearly dropping in surprise the rag he was using to clean the tables.  
  
"Your hair..." he said, ever the eloquent speaker.  
  
"What's wrong with it?" she questioned defensively.  
  
"No, it's just...I've never...um...seen it down before." He was having trouble getting the words out and he wasn't quite sure why. All he knew was that the sight of this woman with her dark hair curling freely about her face, and casual clothes that oddly seemed to show off her delicate figure even more than usual, had struck him dumb. There was a strange sensation pooling within him, similar to the one he'd gotten whenever she'd changed his bandages. It wasn't bad exactly, but he also knew it wasn't safe. He noticed in irritation that he'd been staring and quickly averted his gaze.  
  
No more willing to confront the matter than he, she turned away as well, trying to convince herself it was nothing; it was just her imagination. But the tension in the room remained as the silence lengthened, though both parties moved about finding things to do.  
  
Then all at once it disappeared when the door flew open and Sango rushed in looking extremely anxious.  
  
Kagome jumped in surprise, her discomfort immediately replaced with concern when she observed her friend's face. "Sango, what is it? Are you alright?"  
  
The woman didn't answer, flicking a wary glance over toward Inuyasha. Instead she grabbed hold of Kagome's arm with her shaking hand and dragged her back upstairs to her room, ignoring the puzzled expression on the hanyou's face as she did so. Once they were out of sight and earshot, Sango began to speak, and her voice was as shaky as her hands.  
  
"He's dead, I know he's dead," she said weakly.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"M-miroku."  
  
Kagome gaped at her in horror, "What? What happened? How do you know?"  
  
She began to pace restlessly, knotting her hands, "I-I heard some soldiers talking about a man they'd shot trying to sneak into town. He m-matched Miroku's description...It's these damned Nazis and their new security!" she spat angrily.  
  
"Sango, you need to calm down, okay. It might not have been him." She put her arms around the trembling woman, trying to sooth her, but an expression of concern remained on her face. "We'll find him, don't worry."  
  
Sango nodded silently as a tear slid down her face, and felt herself relaxing a bit. He'd be alright; they would find him and everything would be alright.  
  
But all the positive thinking in the world couldn't erase from her mind the thought of his pale, lifeless body slumped on the ground, the soil beneath him darkening with his blood.  
  
* * *

A/N: That's all for now. Please tell me if the plot drags or anything; it's so hard to tell since it takes, like, four times as long to write as to read! Anyway, there's plenty of action on the way at some point here, so…yeah. Ooooh, I can't wait to write the part where- um, never mind. ;)

    Say, and anyone who's as much of a dork as I am might have noticed that 'Search your feelings; you know it to be true,' is a line from _Return of the Jedi _(I did warn you…). I love to stick stuff like that in my stories! If you want, you can watch for other allusions to movies and stuff like that in the story and send them to me in reviews. If you don't, then just indulge me and ignore them…so there. *grin*

    Please review (like I have to ask… "Wait, you mean author's _LIKE_ reviews! Dear me, I never would have guessed!" …my family is very sarcastic – don't ask)


	5. Light and Shadows

Author's Note: Yay! I got it out on time! Okay, you may have noticed I've started another story as well but I promise not to abandon this one. How could I? I want to find out what happens as much as you do! (well, I know what happens but…you know what I mean). And by the way (shameless plug alert!) if you like this story you should check out my new one, Alter Ego. The first chapter is up and the second one is in the works, hopefully to be posted in a few days. It's more of a romantic comedy -- I figured a change of pace would help me stay fresher.

    Oh, and just to let you know, I got a pert in my high school's spring mainstage production of Harvey, so I'm going to start having rehearsals every day after school (fun, but a lot of work). Anyway, I don't think it will slow down my updates (I usually write on the weekends anyway) but just FYI, in case it does.

    Thanks as always for the reviews! Keep 'em comin'!

    Okay, just a couple of very brief responses (I couldn't resist):

Fallen-snow: I love that someone cares when I update! That's so cool! Please feel free to grumble all you like (I know exactly how you feel -- I've done a bit of 'update-grumbling' myself). I take it as a compliment!

Crystal Music: Tell me about it! I've started offering to proofread for people, though no one has taken me up as yet. Oddly enough my grammar has improved from correcting so many sloppy fics (as I read them, I mean)!

InuGoddess: Cool, I can't believe someone else knew the line! That's awesome! I feel better now…

    Alright, here's the fic!

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 5: Light and Shadows

Kagome took a sip of her tea, then replaced the cup on the table before her, cradling her head in shaking hands. She took an unsteady breath, wrestling with the dark emotions that had been stirred up within her all over again at the news of Miroku.  
  
She feared for him greatly, but perhaps even more so she feared for Sango. It was one thing to die; when life ends, so does pain, so does longing. It was quite another thing to be the loved one left behind, for when one you care for deeply simply disappears all that is left is emptiness and loss.  
  
Until now Kagome had come to believe she had moved on from what had happened, but seeing Sango in such a state only served to remind her of her own experience. All she could do was remember now, the hurt, the emptiness, all renewed. Images flashed before her eyes like snapshots, haunting her. Words and voices struck her to the very soul as she recalled them in perfect detail.  
  
But despite all of these things, she didn't cry. Instead she seemed to grow increasingly numb to everything around her. _Perhaps_, she thought, _there is a point at which sorrow goes beyond tears, and becomes only a barrier to other emotion of any kind. If so, I must have reached that point some time ago._  
  
"Is Sango alright?" Inuyasha's voice brought her out of her reverie and she lifted her gaze to the hanyou with a small, lifeless smile.  
  
"She will be, I hope. She's resting."  
  
"What happened?" he questioned in concern, taking a seat beside her at the table.  
  
"Apparently she heard a rumor that a young man was killed by the soldiers who were scouting the village for spies. He matched the description of a friend of ours, Miroku. You met him, remember?" He nodded in response as she continued in the same weary tone. "We're afraid he may have been mistaken for a spy, that he's the one who was killed."  
  
Inuyasha's brow furrowed, his eyes filled with sympathy. "But how can you be sure it's the same man?"  
  
"We can't. That's the worst part. But we don't even know where to look for him, to at least find out if he's..." she trailed off. "Sango is heartbroken. She...she and Miroku were very close...on some level at least."  
  
The hanyou watched her as she spoke quietly, not entirely to him anymore. She was talking about Sango, but it seemed to him that her mind was elsewhere. Still, it was clear that both women were very worried for their friend, and Inuyasha wished to help them in any way he could.  
  
"I'll help you," he said, and her eyes met his, slightly surprised.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'll help you find your friend, this Miroku," he repeated, his eyes not leaving hers.  
  
She replied, "Thank you. That's very generous, but as I said, we don't even know where to begin."  
  
He shrugged lightly, a hint of that arrogant smirk of his quirking the corners of his lips. "Well then, we'll just have to do a bit of digging, won't we?"  
  
In spite of the dire circumstances and her earlier depression, Kagome found her mood lightening a bit in response to his characteristic cockiness. She smiled appreciatively, this time with more life, more depth to the expression. She barely realized that she had yet to take her gaze from his face. For a moment the pair sat in silence, until both became aware that their eyes were locked and the silence became uncomfortable, laden with unspoken emotions.  
  
Seeking escape, both hanyou and woman stood to leave, as a result finding themselves face to face, scant inches from each other. Kagome's breath hitched as she stared first into the man's eyes, then dropped her gaze to his lips. How did he manage to do this to her? With just a look, just being near him, she was blushing like a schoolgirl. The thought of kissing him put butterflies in her stomach when she thought they had long since exiled themselves. Innocence was one thing she had not had for a long time, yet near him, she might as well have been a virgin.  
  
All at once Kagome turned away, remembering at that thought a certain handsome ebony-haired Nazi who was expecting her presence tonight. The butterflies evaporated, replaced with a gnawing sensation -- dread perhaps? Or was it more like guilt?  
  
Inuyasha watched various expressions chase each other across the woman's face as she looked into his own. He was almost tempted to reach out and close the distance between them, but something in her countenance held him back. Then her eyes widened almost imperceptibly as something seemed to occur to her, and she turned abruptly away. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, dropping his chin only slightly.  
  
"I have to go," she muttered quietly, gathering her coat and purse and sweeping out the door. She didn't look back at him once.  
  
* * *  
  
After Kagome left, Inuyasha had tried to get some things done in the kitchen, knowing that Sango probably wouldn't be up to it and Kagome was off on another of her mysterious outings. It took him about a half an hour to wash two dishes, so distracted was he, so eventually he gave up and found himself back in his room with the diary once again.  
  
_December 22, 1936  
Dear Diary.  
  
I can't believe it! Hojo finally gave me my first kiss tonight! It was unbelievable. We were just sitting on this bench in the park talking about the play we went to, and then he sort of leaned in and said, "Kagome, would it be alright if I...I mean...may I kiss you?" I told him yes and then we...  
  
Oh geez, what a load of crap_, Inuyasha thought gruffly. _No guy in the entire fucking world could be that corny_. He was trying desperately to ignore the little voice in the back of his head as it muttered to him exactly _why_ he was so bothered by this description. To drown out the voice with other thoughts he skipped forward in the diary a ways, hopefully avoiding any further descriptions of 'Mr. Wonderful.'  
  
_April 14, 1939  
Dear Diary,  
  
I've completed my emergency medical training! Hojo-kun was so proud of me for sticking with it, even when it seemed impossible. I don't know what I would do without him..._  
  
_You've got to be kidding me! _he thought irritably._ Can't she talk about anything else but this Hobo wimp?_ He scowled down at the book and flipped a few more pages.  
  
_May 30, 1939  
Dear Diary  
  
This was positively the best day of my entire life. What happened was that I was on my way to the library, and when I got there the woman at the desk told me she had a book on hold for me. But the book she gave me wasn't one that I had put on hold and it looked quite new for a library book, so I mentioned it to her. She told me to just go ahead and read the first page or two, then decide if I wanted it or not. I thought it was a bit strange, but I was curious so I went along with it.   
  
Anyway, it turned out to be a copy of Hamlet, which is my all-time favorite, and just inside the cover were written the words 'To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautified Kagome -- woulds't thou consent to be my wife?' When I looked up, there was Hojo, watching me with a smile on his lips. Of course I said yes! I jumped up and ran into his arms and I was crying and laughing at the same time and...I can't describe it. I feel...ecstatic!  
  
We're planning to hold the wedding a month from today!  
  
-- Kagome_  
  
Somehow this entry left Inuyasha with an almost sick sort of feeling in his stomach. _She married him. Is she...still married to him? _In his mind's eye he replayed the scene with her downstairs earlier in the evening, recalling her expression just before she turned away. It had been hard to name at the time, but now he thought he detected a shade of...guilt?  
  
It all seemed to fit. Kagome had married this, this _Hojo_ person, and naturally he was off in combat. No wonder she was so troubled all the time; her husband was risking his life to make the world 'safe for democracy' and she was at home with some strange man living in her apartment. And she always skillfully changed the subject when it came to anything before the war.  
  
Then he thought of Kikyo, falling in love with someone else while he, Inuyasha, was off fighting in the war. The idea of being the cause of that for someone else was not appealing. Not that he was interested, mind you. _Yeah, right...not in the least...,_ he thought wryly. He suddenly felt very tired, so he put the small leather book on the nightstand and turned out the light to go to sleep. Still, it was awhile before his thoughts allowed unconsciousness to overpower them.  
  
* * *  
  
"To us," Kouga said with a confident smile, raising his wine glass to Kagome's. She returned the smile dutifully, but found it somewhat harder to play along than usual.  
  
They were seated next to each other at one corner of the otherwise unoccupied dining room table in Kouga's villa. The table was set with fine china and silver, which reflected the soft glow of the candles and firelight warming the room. It was a very romantic setting, perhaps not entirely unusual for Kouga, but it seemed slightly more lavish than normal to Kagome. She highly suspected it had something to do with him wanting to impress that general, who continued to stay with him. It was like he was trying to draw attention to his little trophy mistress -- it was always about trophies with him.  
  
"So, anything interesting happen lately? Have you caught any of those spies you've been looking for?" she asked, hoping eventually to reach the topic of Naraku; so far he'd been quite careful not to give her any good information on him. In the meantime, perhaps she could get a lead on Miroku.  
  
"Mm," he considered, "A couple of my men gunned down a spy not long ago, west of the village -- a tall guy with dark brown hair, I think. They tried to apprehend him, but he was too stubborn and ran instead." He smirked slightly at that, "Should have known better. They shot him, straight through the head."  
  
Kagome's mouth went dry at his words, but she swallowed and continued as if nothing were amiss. "Well, I guess he got what was coming to him then didn't he."   
  
Luckily Kouga didn't seem to catch the slight strain in her voice as he quickly took back the lead of the conversation. "Yes, indeed. There's one thing though that's troubling me: this plane we found outside of town a week or two ago. We've been searching for the pilot, but there's no sign of him anywhere." He paused in consideration. "You haven't come across anyone strange lately, have you?"  
  
"Hm?" she was only half listening at this point, "Oh. No, not that I can remember."  
  
"Not surprising I suppose. He was smart enough to throw us off the trail, so chances are he was smart enough not to head into town."  
  
"Mm," she nodded absently. Kouga, too wrapped up in the sound of his own voice didn't register her lack of attention.  
  
_A pilot, hm? Could it have been... No, that's ridiculous. He doesn't look like any of the pilots I've seen._  
  
The meal continued with Kouga prattling on about various rather pointless topics and Kagome contributing the odd sound of assent, keeping an ear out for any subjects of interest. When at last they had finished dessert, Kouga lazily downed the last of his wine and said with a suggestive quirk of his eyebrow, "Well, shall we go upstairs then?"  
  
That same ill feeling from before, back at the cafe, settled in the pit of her stomach. She managed to draw her lips into what she hoped was a coy smile, and it seemed to satisfy him, because he rose to take her hand and lead him up to his bedroom.  
  
_What the hell is wrong with me? Why is this so hard now? I've been his little concubine for nearly a year now,_ she thought with familiar disgust, _and as degrading as it may be I've gotten used to it. But suddenly it's like I'm back to square one._  
  
Then, unbidden, the vision of Inuyasha's amber eyes drifted through her mind, and the sick feeling intensified. _I can't do this,_ she thought as they reached the bedroom door. _I just can't..._  
  
But she had to. If she pulled away now Kouga would know that something was wrong. He might get suspicious, and that could put all their lives in danger, Inuyasha's included. He didn't deserve to be involved in all of this; he didn't even know.  
  
Kouga slid his arms around her waist, drawing her to him for a kiss. She wanted more than anything to pull away, especially when she felt his tongue slip past her teeth, but she forced herself to kiss him back. When his hand brushed past her hip and slid up underneath her sweater, she closed her eyes tighter, trying to numb herself to the feeling of his hand against her skin. For the first time in months she felt as if she were no more than a common whore, and it disgusted her. The last straw was when a tiny stray thought slipped past her careful defenses.  
  
_What would Inuyasha think if he found out?_  
  
She couldn't go through with it, not tonight. As gently as she could, she pulled away from Kouga's embrace, putting a hand to her head with a wince.  
  
Kouga frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I...I just have the most awful headache tonight. I'm sorry, but I really think it would be best if I went home and lay down," she said, schooling her voice to sound weak and pitiable.  
  
"Of course, I understand," he replied, but the tone of his voice betrayed his displeasure, making her grimace inwardly. Outwardly she gave him a weak smile and slipped away, toward the door of the room.  
  
"I'll see you later then?" she said quietly as she left.  
  
His eyes narrowed in mild suspicion as he responded quietly, coldly, "Yes, later." But she had already disappeared into the hallway.  
  
* * *  
  
When Kagome was far enough away from the house, she stopped, leaning against a stone wall, eyes closed in frustration. _God damn him! I was doing fine before he showed up! It wasn't like I was proud of playing mistress to that Nazi, but I had everything under control. I got used to it, and it was for the cause. Now this jackass shows up, turns my knees to jelly and I grow a fucking conscience!_  
  
She banged the back of her head lightly against the wall, fighting the tears springing to her eyes. _God damn him..._ she thought weakly. Her strength failed and she slid down the wall to a sitting position, resting her head against her knees as she began to cry. _I can't do this anymore... I just can't -- it's getting too hard..._  
  
Everything was so fucked up. If she didn't continue to see Kouga he would get suspicious and he might find out about the whole thing and that would put everyone in danger. For god's sake, he already knew about Miroku; even if he was...dead, maybe someone had seen him visiting them. And if anyone did come for her and Sango, Inuyasha would be mixed up in it as well. He didn't deserve to suffer for their sins, especially since he had no idea what he was getting himself into. Maybe it would be best all around if she sent him away.  
  
But somehow she couldn't bring herself to do that either, not just yet. _Maybe after we find out exactly what happened to Miroku, then I'll tell him to leave...we need his help for that, after all,_ she reasoned.  
  
She sighed heavily, her tears spent at last. Whatever was to be done, she couldn't solve it like this, crying in a dark street. For now she would just have to keep going the way she was going and deal with things as best she could until a suitable solution presented itself. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she picked herself up off the ground and headed for home.  
  
* * *  
  
Inuyasha blinked awake to the morning sunlight streaming through his window, roused by a soft knock on the door. A moment later the door opened to reveal Kagome as she strode into the room, a smile on her face and apparent confidence in her step. But the look in her eyes belied her outward appearance, and it was that look which troubled him.  
  
"Morning, Inuyasha," she said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, but she looked as if she hadn't slept a wink all night. In fact, he didn't remember hearing her come home, so she must have gotten in late. _If, in fact, she got in at all last night_, he thought with an inexplicable grumpiness.  
  
"Morning," he replied sleepily, wishing for all the world that he could just fall unconscious again.  
  
"Come on, get up. We've got lots of-" she broke of abruptly, and he opened his eyes in confusion to see her frozen, staring at something to his left. He glanced over, and suddenly found himself wide-awake, panicking as he looked back and forth between Kagome and the diary, which was still on the nightstand in plain view. _Oh shit..._  
  
Her jaw tensed in anger as she flicked her livid gaze to Inuyasha's guilty expression. "What is that doing there?" she ground out dangerously.  
  
"Uh..." was his intelligent reply.  
  
"Where did... I mean have you been... Did you read my diary?!" she questioned in a voice pitched just a bit to high, eyes flashing.  
  
_Oh shit shit shit..._ "Uh, well I...um..."  
  
"You jackass! Have you no concept of privacy?!"  
  
He flinched as she raised her voice to shouting level, watching her fists clench and unclench with unexpressed anger.  
  
"Of all the...I can't believe you read...How could you?! Augh!" she exclaimed in disgust, turning to storm out. But before she had gone two paces she whirled back and snatched up the book, shooting him a glare as she left.  
  
Finally he caught up with himself and stumbled after her into the hall. "Wait, Kagome I-" but he was cut off when she slammed her door shut just inches from his face. He closed his eyes with a grimace, kneading his forehead with one hand. _Wow, I really fucked that up, didn't I? Shit,_ he thought hopelessly, slumping against the wall.  
  
* * *  
  
On the other side of the door Kagome's anger was quickly turning into despair. She had been furious at Inuyasha for the invasion of privacy of course, but even more troubling was the simple fact of seeing that particular diary again. She felt as though there were a great hand clenching around her heart, trying to stop it from beating, as she regarded the diary with hollow eyes. Her nails dug into the soft leather, knuckles turning white and once again her vision was obscured by shadows, memories of what seemed now like a former life.  
  
Taking a seat on the edge of her bed, she opened the diary to the very last entry. The page was somewhat wrinkled, as though it had gotten wet but eventually dried, and the penmanship was sloppy and careless, the ink smudged with what she knew to be tear stains.  
  
_August 15, 1941  
Dear diary,  
  
He's dead. He's dead, and I want nothing more than to die with him. I feel like the world is coming to an end -- there are Nazis all over the place and taking over everything. But I knew everything would be alright, because Hojo was out there, and he would be coming home to me so we could be married. Everything is different now; he's never coming home. I'll never see his beautiful face again, or kiss him, or tell him how much I love him. I'll never get to meet the children we would have had, or know the life we would have lived. All of that died the moment his heart stopped beating. Only I am left behind.  
He was my entire world, and I don't think that I can face a world without him in it.   
~To die, to sleep; and by to sleep to say we end the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to...~_  
  
There was no little signature to finish off this entry, only that one haunting quote before the writing became so sloppy that it was no longer words, and stopped altogether. Not long after writing that, Kagome had abandoned the diary completely, locking it away in some forgotten location, the same way she had locked away her heart. But apparently that solution wasn't quite as permanent as she had hoped.  
  
She had not so much as touched a copy of Hamlet since then.  
  
* * *

A/N: Hmm, that one turned out to be a bit on the angsty side, didn't it? Don't worry; they won't all be quite so heavy. In developing Kagome's character it's been surprisingly difficult (mainly in this chapter) to avoid turning her into a basketcase (weird huh? must just be the mood I'm in). I think I've got the hang of it now though. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!

    Oh, and I'm posting a sort of experimental songfic right after I get this up. I was just playing around with this idea I had…well, go read the fic and review it for me if you get a chance. It's really short, I promise.

    Bye for now!


	6. Learning to Let Go

Author's Note: Uh, he he, sorry for the delay. I know it's been over two weeks since I last posted but I was out of town last weekend (out east looking at colleges; now I have a dilemma: do I go to Brown or NYU? decisions, decisions…). I tried to finish the chapter before I left but I just didn't have the time. Anyway, here it is, and it's a bit longer than usual. Also, since I'm on spring break and I have no homework (yay!), I hope to get the next chapter written in the next couple of days (right after I write the next chapter of Alter Ego). Sound good?

    Once again thanks to all who have taken the time to review. Your encouragement is much appreciated and I love you all!

    Huh, wow, a relatively short author's note this time. I didn't know I was capable of that. Onward!

Disclaimer: Yeah, I think I've forgotten a few of these. Oh screw it, I don't own Inuyasha, okay? Do I really have to tell you every time?

Missing in Action 

Chapter 6: Learning to Let Go

She'd been pretty quiet all day long. Every time Inuyasha tried to get Kagome to talk to him, she either ignored him outright or quickly found an excuse to leave. Yeah, she was quite pissed.  
  
But there was more to it than that, it seemed, though he'd be damned if he could figure out what it was. Even when addressing Sango, who was doing a bit better now thanks to a good night's sleep, she was somewhat distant.  
  
It must have had something to do with the diary; that much he guessed, because that was when it had started. But what? Was she upset that Inuyasha had discovered that she was married? No, that wouldn't cause her to become so depressed.  
  
Come to think of it, the diary had been stashed away pretty deeply. Other than various mentions of kisses with Hojo he hadn't come across anything all that personal. Well, there was that one about her period, but he preferred not to think of that at all. But maybe there was something else in it, something he hadn't read, that was upsetting her so. What could possibly be big enough to warrant hiding it away like that?  
  
Inuyasha sighed, his frustrated and curious thoughts running in circles, mimicking the movement of his hand as it wiped down one of the tables in the cafe dining room. This was getting him nowhere. He needed to get her to talk to him, at least.  
  
As if hearing his thoughts, Kagome appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She merely glanced at Inuyasha, not smiling, but not really scowling, before turning toward the kitchen. _At least it's an improvement_, he thought wryly as he followed her with his eyes.  
  
Almost immediately she returned, Sango at her heels.  
  
"Inuyasha."  
  
He looked up in surprise upon hearing her address him. _Hmm, maybe more of an improvement than I thought..._ But she still didn't smile as she approached him. He got the impression that she'd decided to put her anger aside for now, for the sake of something more important; and he had a guess about what that might be.  
  
"I've been informed," she began in a somewhat formal tone that made him wince inwardly -- he would rather she yelled at him than sound so cold and distant, "that the spy was shot west of here, so that's where we should start our search for Miroku."  
  
Sango looked at the floor for a moment, clasping her hands with suppressed worry, but quickly composed herself and nodded in agreement. Her voice was steady as a rock when she asked, "When do we leave?"  
  
"Tomorrow morning," the other woman answered, her tone a bit softer and more sympathetic. "That is, assuming you're still coming with us, Inuyasha."  
  
He nodded quickly. "Absolutely," he said decisively, accompanying it with a look of entreaty that almost managed to penetrate her cold attitude toward him. Almost.  
  
She turned away, headed back toward the stairs, and Inuyasha watched her leave. Sango merely observed the hanyou's expression, distracted, for the moment, from thoughts of Miroku by the man's curious demeanor. If she didn't know better she'd have guessed he was hurt by the woman's indifference.  
  
"She'll forgive you eventually, Inuyasha," she offered knowingly.   
  
Mild surprise and embarrassment at being caught staring flashed across his face, before he slipped into his own personal method of detachment, looking away with a "Feh."  
  
A small, amused smile appeared on Sango's face as she shook her head lightly and walked back to the kitchen. But the smile gradually faded as her thoughts returned to...him. _At least she's here, Inuyasha_, she thought sadly. _At least you have a chance to apologize and tell her how you feel. Don't squander it._  
  
* * *  
  
The only sound was the rustling of the branches and underbrush in the surrounding woods as the threesome slowly made their way through it in search of Miroku, Inuyasha in the lead. They had been traveling since early that morning with little conversation among them, besides the occasional suggestion of a change in direction.  
  
Inuyasha swiped a frustrated claw at a particularly low branch that was in their way. He couldn't take much more of this. Glancing back at Kagome, whose eyes swept the area, pointedly ignoring him, he suppressed a growl. This was getting ridiculous. For fuck's sake, what the hell could have been in that journal?  
  
All of a sudden he stopped short, ears pricked in the direction of a noise he thought he'd heard. _Footsteps..._ He'd frozen so unexpectedly that Kagome nearly collided with him from behind. But before she had a chance to question him he whirled around urgently, grabbing her around the waist and Sango by the arm and dragging both off to the right in he direction of a boulder the size of a small building. Once safely out of sight he turned his head back in the direction they had come, ears straining and eyes peering through the trees anxiously. Both women saw this and kept very still, concentrating their own limited senses on detecting whatever danger Inuyasha had perceived.  
  
Soon they too could hear two pairs of footsteps; heavy ones, like those of the boot-clad soldiers who patrolled the area. Kagome tensed at this, swallowing, trying to slow her rapidly beating heart. Surely they could hear it, it was so loud, pounding in her ears. Voices could be heard as well, quiet, but not far off, speaking what was unmistakably German.  
  
"...mehr nach links. Wir müssen noch mehr in dieser Richtung suchen, bevor es zurück geht."  
  
"Jawhol."  
  
The footsteps grew closer and closer, until they were mere feet from the boulder behind which the three stood, where they stopped. The sound of brush and leaves rustling nearby while the soldiers glanced around had them holding their breath as they pressed up against the rock surface, listening in fearful anticipation. Finally the footsteps began again, retreating, growing further and further with the men's departure.  
  
Kagome let out a breath of relief, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the rock. Inuyasha relaxed as well, looking down at her. Only then did they both realize that he still had his arm protectively around her waist, and that he was partly leaning up against her, trapping her between himself and the boulder's smooth surface. Their eyes met briefly, identical looks of embarrassed apprehension warring with desire on their faces, which were mere inches apart. It took a moment before Inuyasha managed to pry himself away, looking down at the forest floor as he did so.  
  
Now that the danger had passed, Sango observed the silent exchange from a short distance. She saw the expressions on both of their faces when their eyes met, holding for an instant before they both looked away, and Inuyasha reluctantly released his hold on her.  
  
Kagome released another breath as she looked off into the forest, trying to steady herself. She wished she could say that her fluttering pulse was still due to the close call with the soldiers only moments before, but even she didn't buy that.  
  
"We should get going," said Inuyasha quietly, not looking at Kagome as he concentrated on calming his raging blood. He saw her glance at him out of the corner of his eye, registering the slight flush that had appeared on her cheeks, which nearly undermined his efforts. _She's married_, he reminded himself sternly. _She's married... which means she is absolutely, positively off limits._  
  
Clenching his jaw and swallowing he muttered, "Come on," and set off in the direction they had been headed before. After a moment's pause the two women trailed after him, with Kagome bringing up the rear.  
  
* * *  
  
They traveled on for hours, until the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon and twilight descended upon the group like a veil. Stars winked to life one by one and a silvery, waning moon cast it's unearthly light over the forest.  
  
Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound of a stifled yawn coming from Kagome. He paused and turned back toward the two exhausted women, then cast a glance at the rapidly darkening sky. He had hardly realized how late it was getting, and by now they were much too far out from the village to turn back. _Besides_, he thought darkly, _it would not be wise to wander around in the dark near there with the area swarming with soldiers. If the Nazis shot this friend of theirs, an innocent townsperson, on mere suspicion, what would happen if they caught an enemy soldier such as me. What would happen to Kagome..._  
  
"We should stop here for the night," he stated firmly, and got no arguments, seeing in Kagome's eyes that her thoughts, with respect to Miroku and the soldiers, mirrored his own. He felt even more guilty then, because she didn't realize that she was traveling with a wanted man, a soldier on the run. She was completely unaware of the additional danger he posed to her.  
  
Kagome, for her part, felt that familiar guilt creeping up on her as well. _If they caught us they would take him for a spy as well_, she thought. _I can't put him in that position. I won't let anything happen to an innocent man because of me. Especially him..._ "I agree," she said. Sango merely nodded.  
  
Inuyasha led the party off in the direction of a small clearing, surrounded by thick trees and underbrush, where the light of a fire would be relatively hidden from the surrounding woods. Along the way they collected dry wood from the forest floor and, when they reached the clearing, piled it up neatly for burning. Kagome and Sango surrounded the small, makeshift fire pit with rocks to contain it while Inuyasha used his claws to make wood shavings for kindling. He then lit the kindling with one of the matches from the small survival pouch attached to his belt -- standard army issue -- and cultivated the tiny flame into a comfortable blaze.  
  
None of them had had much to eat all day, save for a few snacks that Kagome had brought along to tide them over. By now all that was left were a couple of pieces of bread and cheese; hardly a meal, but they would make do.  
  
"No, thank you," Sango said wearily when Kagome offered her a share of the food. "I think I'll just get some sleep."  
  
"Are you sure? You should really eat something," the woman prodded.  
  
"Really, I'm fine. Just tired." And with that she settled herself down in the leaf-strewn grass near the warmth of the fire, drifting slowly off to sleep.  
  
Kagome watched her friend for a while, a look of concern on her face, completely unaware of the fact that she herself was being watched. Amber eyes regarded the raven-haired woman's profile in silence, as though trying to read her thoughts.  
  
"It's hard on her," she said softly, almost to herself, and Inuyasha once again got the sense that she meant more than she was saying. "Not knowing if he's dead or alive, picturing his death in her mind, wondering what her world would be like if he were to disappear forever." The more she spoke, the darker her eyes became, the more pain they held. Suddenly Inuyasha realized what she must be thinking of, and he felt a dull ache somewhere in the vicinity of his chest at the thought.  
  
"You're thinking of him, aren't you," he murmured, unable to keep the barest trace of resentment from his tone.  
  
She glanced over, slightly startled, her brows knitting in mild confusion and curiosity. '_Him'? He can't mean...Kouga?_ "What do you mean? How do you know?"  
  
He quirked an eyebrow at her, rolling his eyes with a wry smile, "What do you mean, how do I know? I read your diary, remember?"  
  
_Oh, of course, that 'him'. I forgot he knew about that._ She stiffened slightly when he mentioned the diary, recalling her anger from before, and he winced, wishing he hadn't brought it up. She turned away, the hard look returning to her eyes.  
  
But Inuyasha wasn't willing to leave the conversation there this time. He was determined to find out why she was so upset. "Look, Kagome, I realize you're angry with me for reading it and I understand why. I shouldn't have invaded your privacy like that. But when I picked it up I had no idea it was yours, and once I started reading about you and-" he broke off suddenly, unwilling to admit his interest in her relationship with Hojo.  
  
He sighed in frustration when she still refused to look at him, decided to try a different tack. "For fuck's sake, Kagome, all I found out is that you're married, okay? Whatever else is in that diary that has you so upset, I must have missed, so can we just-"  
  
Her eyes widened in surprise and she whirled around, anger forgotten, interrupting him. "Wait, what did you say?" she asked, confused.  
  
He stared back at her, frowning. "What, I said you're married to that, that Hobo guy, or whatever the hell his name is," he repeated, his agitation at the subject beginning to overcome his careful detachment. "That's who you were thinking of," he said somewhat bitterly, looking away, "your 'brave soldier' off at war. I've seen that look you get. You're worried about him; you miss him, don't you."  
  
Kagome shook her head slightly with a bemused sort of laugh. _Oh what a tangled web we weave..._ she thought sardonically. Finally she got up and moved around the fire to sit beside him. "Inuyasha, this is sort of a long story, so I'm going to need you to listen to me," she said seriously, and the hanyou in question watched her silently, a somewhat confused expression appearing on his face.  
  
She took a breath and exhaled, observing the flames that licked at the air, slowly but surely consuming the wood pieces that fueled it. When she spoke, her voice was soft with remembrance. "I met Hojo when I was about sixteen years old." She smiled slightly at the memory. "At first I think I was captivated by him mainly because he was a year older than me and very intellectual. It seemed to me that he was the perfect guy, and I fell in love with him for it. We were together all through high school, and as time went on that sort of silly schoolgirl love that I had felt for him in the beginning changed and grew deeper, more real. He taught me about literature and encouraged me to study medicine, and I hung on his every word.  
  
"It was so easy to forget about the outside world in those days," she continued, but her wistful tone began to darken with regret, "The village was so isolated that it seemed, even as the war was brewing in the east, we would be protected from it. When I was nineteen Hojo proposed to me, and it looked as if all of my plans for the future -- the wedding I'd always wanted, a home, a good husband, a family -- would all come true exactly as planned. I was naive -- terribly so." She shook her head with a self-deprecating smile. Inuyasha merely continued to listen in silence, not entirely sure where she was headed.  
  
"Unfortunately, before we had a chance to get married, he was drafted. The war had not stayed nearly as far away as we'd hoped, and the Nazis were invading France. Before he left we promised each other that we would be married as soon as he returned, we would pick up right where we left off."  
  
_Well that sounds familiar_, Inuyasha thought ironically, but remained silent. He was almost immediately distracted be the look of deep sorrow which seeped into every corner of her countenance. When she spoke again, her voice was low and thick with recollection of tears shed long ago.  
  
"He never came back. We wrote letters back and forth regularly for over a year, then suddenly his stopped coming. It was a while yet before I received it -- the thing most dreaded by those of us with loved ones in combat -- a letter from the war department. It said that he was missing in action -- not dead, just 'missing'," she said derisively. "I believed he was still alive, that he was at that very moment on his way home to me; maybe he'd deserted and was traveling on foot halfway across the country just to see my face. Even then, at nineteen, I had such idealistic dreams of heroism and chivalry. All that changed when I received the second letter.  
  
"He was dead. They'd found him wounded and tried to treat him but his injuries were too severe. He'd died the very day I had received that first notice..." she trailed off, eyes staring unseeingly into the fire.  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes. It pained him to see her like this, to hear in her voice the echoes of loss and pain, not just of Hojo but of the girl she had been, the woman she would have become. For the first time he felt that he truly understood her, or at least a part of her. And all he wanted was to be able to make her pain go away, to protect her in any way that he could.  
  
"Kagome," he began, but found himself at a loss for words when she finally looked at him, eyes glazed with unshed tears. Without thinking he drew her into a comforting embrace, resting her head against his shoulder and rocking her back and forth as she began to cry.  
  
"I lost everything," she whispered, fingers clenching and twisting in his shirt. "My father had been dead since I was young, and my mother and brother fled the country before the war. But I chose to stay with him. He was everything I had."  
  
"I know," Inuyasha murmured soothingly, all thoughts of distance and detachment overridden by the overwhelming urge to protect.  
  
She felt as if a poison that had been slowly draining her life away from the inside was being drawn out of her. The more she spoke the more she came to realize that her scarred heart was beginning to heal. After a time the tears receded and she took a deep breath, pressing her cheek into Inuyasha's chest. She hadn't allowed anyone to get so close to her, in the emotional sense, for years. Even as this thought occurred to her she felt it necessary to remind herself that there were certain barriers she could not cross, certain things she could not divulge. To do so would only endanger him further.  
  
Finally she reluctantly pulled back, sniffing slightly and wiping her eyes. "Thank you," she said quietly.  
  
"Feh," he replied, but with a small smirk, the genuine look in his eyes belaying the remark. "You should get some sleep," he suggested gently, and she nodded in agreement.  
  
"I should. So should you."  
  
"Hey, someone has to keep watch," he shrugged. "Don't worry about me; I'll be fine."  
  
She gave him one last look before curling up on the ground to get some much-needed sleep.  
  
Inuyasha sat in silence, listening to her breathing become deeper, more even, until he knew she was asleep. Seeing her shiver a bit he shrugged out of his coat and draped it over her shoulders, allowing his knuckles to bush her cheek ever so gently as he sat back. He watched the light of the dying fire as it flickered over her angelic features, so peaceful and untroubled, as she rarely was when she was awake. It seemed that something always prayed on her mind. But just now it seemed she was content, if only for a short while, before the real world returned to trouble her again.  
  
The silver-haired hanyou pulled from his pocket the old, worn piece of paper that contained Kikyo's letter of goodbye. As he regarded it contemplatively for the thousandth time his mind played once again familiar memories from the past, memories of her as he had known her in London, and finally the image of her as she appeared from within that black sedan in front of the villa. His gaze drifted from the letter over to Kagome's slumbering form, then back to the letter, before he calmly tossed the paper onto the fire. Inuyasha watched with a slight smile playing at his lips as the flames consumed it greedily, causing it to curl and blacken, turning it to ash.  
  
"Goodbye Kikyo," he murmured, and as he said it he could almost feel the great weight lifting from his shoulders. "Goodbye..."  
  
* * *  
  
"Inuyasha."  
  
"Huh? Wha...?" The man blinked awake at Kagome's sharp voice, but when he looked up at her standing over him he saw that she was smiling.  
  
"Come on sleepy-head. We've got to get going," she said with a slight smirk, tossing him his jacket. "Excellent job on the look-out, I might add."  
  
"Feh," he replied, getting to his feet and brushing the soil from his clothes. Kagome only laughed lightly.  
  
"You're in a good mood," he commented.  
  
She smiled. "Come on, Sango's already started. We have to catch up." And with that she turned and headed off in the direction Sango had left in not long before, glancing back to see that Inuyasha was following.  
  
They soon joined their friend, who was still unusually quiet, lost in her own thoughts, but the relative silence that fell among them was much more companionable than it had been the day before. The group had not been traveling all that long when Inuyasha slowed to a stop, sniffing suspiciously, a look of foreboding growing on his face.  
  
"What is it?" Kagome asked, her voice mirroring his expression.  
  
He met her eyes seriously, swallowing, replying quietly, "Blood."  
  
There was a sharp but stifled intake of breath from Sango, but Kagome asked calmly, "Where?"  
  
Inuyasha looked from one woman to the other, silently signaling them to follow him as he set off through the trees. The scent grew stronger, closer, finally culminating in a small clearing. He stopped just inside, staring grimly at a large, dark stain on the soil, some of it even splattered on the trunk of a tree just beyond, smeared on the leaves that were strewn about the forest floor. It was not recent, but it was unmistakable.  
  
"Oh my god," Kagome whispered, entering the clearing behind him. Sango's eyes widened as she approached as well. She moved forward and knelt before the gruesome stain marring the otherwise pleasant scene.  
  
"It's his, Kagome," Inuyasha stated gravely, "I know the scent. The blood belongs to Miroku."  
  
"Oh my god," she whispered again, grabbing his arm for support. "But," she said weakly, swallowing hard and meeting his amber eyes, "where's the body?"  
  
* * *

A/N: What'cha  think? Hope it works okay. I hit a frustrating case of writer's block right after I got home and went back and read the whole story over again to get my brain jump-started. But don't worry; I know exactly what's going to happen next (my favorite part so far is coming up in a chapter or two!) so it shouldn't trouble me again.

    Finally I have to send my thanks out to kitty4 for her help in translating the German in this chapter, as well as her insights into the Reich and it's officers. Thank you!

    Speaking of the German bit, it's not really important but just in case anyone is wondering what those two soldiers said, here's the approximate translation:

  
    ~ "…off to the left. We have to search that direction further before heading back."

    "Yes sir." [literal translation: "Yes very well"] ~

    Well, I guess that's all for now. Tune in next time for another installment of…Missing in Action! 

    In the meantime, please review!  
_  
_ 


	7. Utopia

Author's Note: Yay! I said I would get another chapter done before break ended and I actually did! Three cheers for me! Though unfortunately I ran into a minor problem with Alter Ego, so I haven't been able to update that like I planned. I actually wrote the chapter for it but I think it came out a bit on the dark side…or something. I really hope I can fix it without a complete rewrite.

    Anyway, that's not this story so I'll stop whining and get on with business! First thing's first – I have to address the 'hair issue'. Yes, I realize that a) Inuyasha should technically have a GI haircut (not to mention all the others) and b) Naraku and Kouga don't exactly look like your classic Germans (blonde and blue-eyed) but I'm afraid these things could not be helped. No one in Inuyasha (that I know of) is blonde and blue-eyed, so that would mean I'd have to invent new characters for those roles, which isn't nearly as much fun. Also I've seen movies and things with dark-haired Nazis, not to mention the fact that Hitler himself had dark hair (though I realize he was a bit of a hypocrite about that). And frankly I don't think any one of you really wants to see Inuyasha with a buzz cut (now there's an image for you – he'd look like a cat!). So, if you'll just bare with me on minor issues such as these (and I realize no one who mentioned this stuff intended it as offense – none taken either) that would be lovely. Besides, in a world where an American pilot can have dog ears, I think there's room to stretch the truth just a little!

    That being said, thank you all for your wonderful reviews! They are an excellent motivator for me. And now, just a couple of very brief replies:

Chibi Horsewoman: Uh-oh, someone who knows the military. I'm in trouble (grins sheepishly). 'Fraid I may have to bend the rules a bit for the sake of the story (see above explanation), but I hope you'll forgive me! Feel free to point out any additional errors anyway though – maybe I can prevent a few…

Akutenchi: Um, I'm not sure I understand your question. Kagome and Sango are both French and Kikyo is British (for the purposes of the story, of course). None of the women in the story are German. Hope that clears it up!

Missing in Action 

Chapter 7: Utopia

Pain. Wrenching, earsplitting, mind-numbing pain. That was the very first thing to come to his awareness. He had no idea why he was in such pain, nor was he in any condition to care, for his consciousness did not yet extend to that level of thinking. As the darkness of a deathlike sleep gradually melted away he became more accustomed to the pain, feeling it pulse and throb, noticing, with the return of his capacity for organized thought, that it was localized in his head.  
  
For a few minutes he merely lay still, eyes closed, concentrating on breathing in and out. After a while he realized that the pain was subsiding, becoming more of a dull ache in his skull. Finally he cracked open his eyes, wary of the light of the outside world in contrast to the now familiar darkness.   
  
As his eyes adjusted to the brightness and came into focus he observed a strange old man hovering over him. The man's clothes were worn and rumpled, his hair and beard grey and somewhat unkempt and windblown, by the looks of it. His face held the lines of many years and troubles past, but the blue-grey eyes peering out of it were kind and bright, crinkled in a smile.  
  
"You're awake," the man commented in a somewhat rough but pleased voice as he settled back in a chair beside the bed. "What's your name young fellow?"  
  
He frowned slightly with the effort of thought, trying to recall it. "Uh...it's...Miroku," he replied finally, his throat somewhat raw and scratchy from non-use. "That's it, Miroku." He sighed, relieved that his memory hadn't been permanently damaged. But what the hell had happened to him? Why did his head hurt so much?  
  
The old man chuckled good-naturedly. "Good, at least you don't have amnesia."  
  
"Who are you? How did I get here?" Miroku questioned, taking in his surroundings. He was in some sort of cabin, apparently in the woods from what he could see out the open window in the wall beside the bed. The room he was in was small and rugged, but not uncomfortable. In fact it was rather cozy. Aside from the bed, the only furniture was a cabinet on the far wall, a small, rough-hewn wooden table, and two chairs, one of which the man was currently seated in. There was a woven rug spread on the floor and various homey odds and ends like candles and blankets and books spread about the room. The room had two doors, one seeming to lead to a second room, the other leading outside.  
  
The old man watched as he surveyed the room with interest. "I'm called Teiresias. I came upon you in the woods, mortally wounded, and brought you here to treat you. Relax," he said calmingly, reaching out a hand when Miroku made to sit up, "You're still healing. That was quite the lucky shot you took," he commented with a smile. "A centimeter further in and you'd surely have been killed instantly. Indeed the men who shot you must have thought you so, not to have shot you again, finishing the job.   
  
"I heard the weapons fire while I was out collecting firewood, went to investigate. There you were, lying unconscious on the ground, bleeding from the head, and I could hear those goddamned soldiers retreating, stomping about like elephants on parade. At first I believed you were dead, indeed you should have been, if only due to blood loss, but upon closer inspection I found you still had a pulse. You've been in a coma since then, and I was afraid you might not wake from it. Until now, that is.  
  
"I've used a few home remedies to dull the pain, bandaged you up as best I could. You tend to learn a great deal about mending injuries living alone out here, and I expect you'll make a full recovery. You can feel all your limbs and everything, can you not? No paralysis?"  
  
Miroku flexed his hands slowly, testing the muscles, doing the same with his feet. Everything seemed to be in order, with the obvious exception of his head, which still ached as though he'd gone on a weeklong drinking binge.  
  
"Good," the man said, getting to his feet and moving across the room to tidy up the various supplies strewn over the tabletop.  
  
Miroku closed his eyes again, trying to piece together his fragmented memory. By now he could remember pretty much everything up through his last visit with Sango and Kagome. From there, however, things became a bit sketchy. He wasn't entirely certain how much time had passed between leaving the village and his encounter with the soldiers. He had some vague memory of having returned to the Resistance base in between, but he might have been imagining it. Then gradually he recalled images of the woods at night. He was running, running for his life, pursued relentlessly by the sound of harsh voices snapping orders in German, and gunfire echoing in the dark as bullets ricocheted off the trees around him. He felt the panic welling within him, his mind overcome with the will to survive, primal and instinctive, giving him the strength to keep running even as his lungs burned and muscles screamed with the effort.  
  
Then suddenly there was an unspeakable, shooting pain in the left side of his head, tearing his flesh, rattling his skull and depriving him of all remnants of rational thought as he gave a cry of mortal anguish, before falling into utter blackness.  
  
"No...!" he said breathlessly, snapping awake, sweat rolling down his face. He didn't remember having fallen asleep, so subtly had his thoughts melted from those of consciousness into dreams.  
  
Breath coming in uneven gasps, his pulse slowly returning to normal, he glanced out the window. The sky was slightly overcast, but not dark; he couldn't have been asleep all that long. But the room was empty at the moment -- the man was nowhere to be seen.  
  
He took a deep breath, returning his gaze to the window. _I wonder how long I've been here_, he thought. _I wonder where Sango is. Does she even realize I'm gone?_  
  
His head was feeling a bit better, no doubt due to Teiresias' 'home remedies,' and Miroku managed to push himself up into a sitting position. A cool breeze played across his face, and he reached up to gingerly finger the bandage that was wrapped around his head, testing the wound.  
  
The sound of the door opening drew his attention to Teiresias, who entered the cabin, a smile on his face and a small sack in his hand. "Hi there," said the older man as he emptied a collection of leaves and herbs onto the table.  
  
Miroku watched him with interest as he settled in to sort meticulously through the strange plants. It was strange the way this man and his little hut seemed completely cut off from the war going on around him, untouched and unscathed by it's violence and destruction. Yet it wasn't as if he was some sort of uneducated hermit. He spoke as one who had lived among people, and the many well-worn books stacked around the tiny room were evidence that he could, and did, read.  
  
"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but what exactly do you do here? How did you come to live in this place?" he asked curiously.  
  
The man smiled amusedly. "I was wondering when you would ask that. Most people I come across are curious about me, not that I come across many who take the time to talk these days. Too many soldiers about."  
  
"Why don't the soldiers harm you?"  
  
"I'm not worth their time," he replied with a wink. "They leave me to my business as long as I don't get in their way. Most of them, especially that Colonel Kouga, take me for a crazy old hermit. I suppose I'm worth more to them alive if only so they can joke about me amongst themselves. The joke's on them though, isn't it?"  
  
Miroku returned the man's smile, coming to increasingly appreciate his sharp wit. "But how is it that you live here in the first place?" he inquired again.  
  
"I didn't always. In fact, I grew up in the village, lived there most of my life. My wife and I used to run a bed and breakfast there, years ago, before she passed on. Just wasn't the same without her, I suppose. The world itself was beginning to change, and I decided that I was tired of changing with it. So, I built this place, took my books and a few essentials, and made a world of my own to live in. I've been here for, oh, about fifteen years now. It's a quiet sort of life to be sure, but it serves me well. Especially of late."  
  
Miroku listened in fascinated silence. In a way he envied this man, envied the uncomplicated simplicity of his life, and wondered if he could ever do it himself -- give up the world like that. But he knew in his heart that there was at least one thing, one _person_ rather, that he could never leave behind. "Sounds like a good life," he mused. "I only wish mine could be as simple."  
  
"It can be; it will be. All you have to do is work out the tangles and live through the rough times. Eventually, we all get there, one way or another."  
  
The younger man eyed him skeptically for a moment, but Teiresias merely continued at his work. "I hope so," he murmured.  
  
* * *  
  
Sango knelt gingerly before the wide, dark stain which tainted the ground of the clearing, clutching a hand to her stomach, her breath coming in shallow, almost-sobs as she vaguely registered Inuyasha's confirmation that the blood belonged to Miroku.  
  
"No..." she whispered, tears coming to her eyes as it seemed that the nightmares which had plagued her these days past were being played out before her. Miroku's kind countenance swam before her like a vision, his expression at once calm and mischievous, as only he could be. "Jesus god, it can't be..."  
  
It was then that a ray of hope broke through her despair, and she clung to Inuyasha's words like a lifeline as he said with puzzled surprise, "The trail...it...goes out from here, but not in the direction of the village. Why would the Nazis have taken him away to be buried? It doesn't make sense, unless..."  
  
Her eyes widened, a desperate light coming into them, and she quickly got to her feet. "Unless what?" she demanded urgently. "Inuyasha, do you think he might have survived?"  
  
"There's only one way to find out..."  
  
* * *  
  
A cool breeze played across Miroku's face, ruffling his short, dark hair and stirring up the leaves from the forest floor. He was seated comfortably against a tree -- in fact, come to think of it, he felt no discomfort whatsoever, in his head or otherwise. _That's odd..._ he mused, but his surroundings were so pleasant that he simply couldn't bring himself to puzzle it further.  
  
So this was what utopia was like. Birds in the trees, peaceful, serene solitude like a spell over all the world. It was, for lack of a better word, perfection. Yet there was something missing...  
  
A distant voice, hardly more than a whisper for all that he could hear of it, reached him on the wind. It called to him, beckoned him, and he felt drawn to it almost instinctively.  
  
"Miroku..."  
  
Again it called, louder this time as it grew closer. It was familiar to him but he could not fully identify it through the haze of bliss that seemed to fill his mind.  
  
"Miroku..."  
  
When the voice came a third time, still louder, he could just detect a hint of desperation in it. It was then that he knew whom it belonged to.  
  
"Sango...?" he whispered questioningly.  
  
Her voice answered him with another, more desperate call, though she did not seem to have heard him, and his heart swelled at the sound, the world around him becoming dimmer, more illusory. But he took no notice of this. All of his senses were trained on that voice, which seemed to pull him away from his utopia to...somewhere else. And he found he was more than willing to go.  
  
"Miroku..."  
  
"Sango..." Miroku said sleepily, his eyes opening slowly, mind readjusting to the waking world. The strange pain medication that the old man had given him had put him soundly to sleep and made his brain run a bit slower than usual even as he woke. But the voice...was it real?  
  
"Miroku...!" He heard it, louder and more urgent than ever from outside the cabin. It was her. It had to be her.  
  
"Sango..." he called more loudly, praying that she would hear.  
  
His efforts were rewarded when the door to the hut burst open and a wild-eyed Sango appeared.  
  
"Miroku! Oh thank god you're alright," she sobbed, falling to her knees beside the bed and clutching his hand in her own, pressing her cheek against it as though to prove to herself that he was real.  
  
He lifted his other hand to her head, gently stroking her hair as she shook with silent sobs. "It's okay," he soothed, "I'll be fine Sango."  
  
"Dammit Miroku, I was so worried about you!" she said bitterly. "When I heard that...and then we found... You should have let us know you were alright, sent word or something!"  
  
"He's been in a coma, miss," Teiresias explained gently, and Sango turned back to look at him. By then Kagome and Inuyasha had caught up and were standing in the doorway, looking exceedingly relieved. "You needn't worry about him anymore," the old man assured her when fear flashed across her face at the mention of a coma. "He still needs to recover a bit, and for that he can stay here. You are welcome to stay as well if you like. But for now," he said, meeting eyes with Kagome and Inuyasha, "perhaps the three of us should give you a little privacy."  
  
Kagome nodded in agreement and herded Inuyasha out the door, Sango giving the old man a grateful look as he too exited the hut.  
  
Once they were alone Miroku merely observed the young woman before him, not entirely sure what to make of her actions. She had apparently been worried sick over him, and yet had she not, at their last meeting, made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with 'someone like him'?  
  
Sango continued to stare after the others for a moment, lost in her thoughts, trying to decide how to proceed. Finally she took a deep breath and turned back to face him.  
  
"Miroku," she began, still holding his hand, but more gently now than before, "I want to apologize for the way I acted before, when you came to the cafe that last time. I...I know I hurt you, and I had no right to say those things. At first I thought perhaps you didn't come back because of me, and I felt so guilty, and then I was worried you might be dead and I would never have a chance to tell you that...to-to make things right. I'm sorry..."  
  
His heart sank in his chest as she spoke, and he slipped his hand out of hers, averting his eyes as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Of course that was it. She felt guilty. She was worried he'd go to his grave and leave her with a goddamn insult on her conscience. _Why should it be any more than that?_ he thought bitterly.  
  
She watched him apprehensively, confused by the hurt that flashed in his eyes. "Miroku...?" she inquired softly.  
  
"Is that all there was to it then?" he asked evenly, before he could stop himself, still unwilling to meet her questioning eyes.  
  
"I don't understand," she replied, wishing he would at least look at her.  
  
There was no turning back now, so he continued in a deadpan. "Was that all you wanted from me? You wanted to make sure I'd forgiven you, is that it?" He finally met her gaze. "I'm not so petty as to hold a grudge, for something like that, Sango. Consider your conscience cleared."  
  
"Then why are you still looking at me like that?" she asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "I said I was sorry. I don't know what else I can do."  
  
"Sango," he said softly, "you may not have meant to hurt me, but the bottom line is that you did mean what you said. We both know that. It's not your fault; you can't change the way you feel about me any more than I can change the way I feel about you."  
  
She stared into his eyes, entranced, finally beginning to understand what he was saying. Did he mean...? But...how was that possible? She swallowed, trying to get her voice to work again. "And...how is that, exactly?"  
  
The pain flared in his violet eyes once more as he raised a chaste hand to her cheek. "Isn't it obvious? I'm in love with you, Sango."  
  
Her heart seemed to stop as his sweet, velvety voice resonated with the words she'd hardly been aware of longing for. But in that moment she knew once and for all that this was what she had been waiting to hear all her life. For the first time since she'd come in the door, she knew exactly what to say to him.  
  
She lifted her own hand to cover the one he still held to her cheek. "I've got news for you, hentai," she said with a sly smile, "I'm in love with you as well."  
  
Of all the things he had expected her to say in reply, that was furthest from his mind. His eyes grew wide in surprise, locked with her own, which shone like fireflies in the waning daylight from the window. "You..." he began, but she merely nodded, answering him before he even had a chance to finish.  
  
Seeing that she was serious he drew her forward, capturing her lips in the sweetest kiss either of them had ever experienced. It wasn't hungry and lustful, as she would have expected from him, but warm and gentle, like a silent promise, a silent request. His arms encircled her, but for once wandered no lower, as he contented himself with the new and deeper emotions stirred to life by only a kiss.  
  
_Only a kiss..._ he mused. A deceptively simple description of something much, much more meaningful than he ever would have believed.  
  
At last they broke apart, both smiling secretively to each other. Carefully, she ran a delicate hand over the left side of his bandaged head, where the faint stain of blood was just visible through the cloth.  
  
"Does it hurt?" she asked him, concerned.  
  
"Not anymore," he replied with a smile, which she returned. They were so close he could see himself reflected in her eyes.  
  
_Now this is what I call utopia..._

A/N: Okay, please review and tell me if this is good or not. It's the middle of the night and I'm a tiny bit unsure about my ability to gauge melodrama so…yeah. So is it too sappy, too dry, or just right? Let me know if you would and I'll do what I can to balance in future chapters. Thanks so much!


	8. A Walk in the Park

Author's Note: Whew, been a while, eh? Sorry for the two week delay. I really do try to get out a chapter of each of my stories every weekend, but so far it looks like they're usually bi-weekly instead. Oh well! I do my best.

    For those who care, I didn't get into the All-state choir as I'd hoped, but I don't feel to bad about it because only one guy from my school did (out of about 15 of us who auditioned). One of my friends who was in it last year didn't even get in, so I actually feel worse for her. Anyway, my choir director said she was really surprised with the results, so…yeah. Oh well, you win some you lose some!

    Glad people liked the last chapter and the whole Miroku/Sango piece. I always worry about these things, y'know? And thank you all so much for reviewing, as always!

EH: Thanks for the reassurance! Yeah, I'm just not gonna worry about the hair thing anymore. Just had to get it out of the way!

Chibi Horsewoman: I had heard something like that about Hitler being part Jewish, but someone else told me it wasn't true so then I was never really sure. But if it is true it's sort of cool, isn't it? Well not cool, but from a psychological perspective…you know what I mean – interesting, I guess.

Fallen-Snow: Of course I don't mind a suggestion! But in answer to your comment, well, for the moment all I can say is that he's not your average everyday hermit…  And on the Miroku question…um…yeah, I admit I lost count a bit myself, but it's safe to say he was unconscious for at least a week and probably closer to two. If I find the time to figure it out, I'll let you know more specifically! Finally, I think you asked this in your review of Alter Ego, but here's the answer anyway – I'm planning to start A Noble Mind (the sequel to Fortune's Fool) once I've finished at least one of these fics. It's been on the back burner for a while, but since you're interested enough to inquire about it, I've decided to give it priority. Sound good? The first chapter is partially written and I'm working on brainstorming the plot in my free time.

    And in general answer to all others who've asked questions, well, they will all be answered in due course…(don't I sound all-powerful then?)

    Still, don't hesitate to ask them anyway! It helps me to know what everyone's curious about, and therefore what to emphasize.

    Okay, this is way to long, so I'll be shutting up now…

Missing in Action 

Chapter 8: A Walk in the Park

Inuyasha paced restlessly back and forth, becoming increasingly impatient with waiting outside the tiny little hut. Teiresias had explained to them what had happened before heading off to collect more of the herbs he required to treat Miroku's wound, leaving the other two to wait until they were allowed back in.  
  
He drummed his clawed fingers against his crossed arms, finally giving a short, irritable growl and turning to Kagome, whose ear was pressed firmly to the side of the cabin. "What the hell is going on in there anyway?" he snapped at her, and she scowled at him, waving her arms in a 'shushing' gesture. He merely grumbled again.  
  
"You shouldn't be eavesdropping you know," he grumbled, only succeeding in causing her to sush him more forcefully. Tossing up his arms in defeat, he sighed and flicked a gaze at her to see that Kagome's attention was elsewhere before surreptitiously moving to stand behind her, with his own ear to the wall. With his superior hearing he would easily have picked up any conversation from inside, which is why he found himself frowning in confusion at the silence. He pressed his ear a bit closer, straining to capture the smallest sound, but still there was nothing.  
  
In fact he was so focused on trying to hear that he didn't notice Kagome turning around, observing him with one eyebrow arched in amusement. "Hypocrite," she said playfully, poking him in the ribs, which caused him to straighten up with a self-conscious cough, trying unsuccessfully to hide his earlier concentration. "I knew it, Inuyasha. You're just a big old softie, aren't you?" she teased.  
  
"Feh," he replied in a gruff voice belayed by the slight blush in his cheeks.  
  
"Yeah, right, _'feh'..._" she said with a smirk, going back to listening at the wall.  
  
But she almost immediately jumped back, because just then the door opened and Sango appeared, with a light in her eyes that had been absent for a long time, even before Miroku disappeared. Kagome hadn't been able to make out most of their conversation, but the tone was clear, and Sango's expression only supported her suspicions as to what had occurred.  
  
"Kagome," the woman began, her happiness reflected in the timbre of her voice, "Miroku has to rest for a couple of days and I'd like to stay with him, but there's no need for you two to be detained. Why don't you head on back toward the village?"  
  
The ebony-haired woman exchanged smiles with her friend, nodding in agreement. "I think Inuyasha's a bit restless," she replied, flicking her gaze to the half-demon and back again before leaning a bit closer and adding quietly, "but I want to hear every last detail when you get back."  
  
Sango laughed softly, biting her lip and nodding. The two women embraced briefly and then Kagome turned to the clueless hanyou, taking his arm to lead him away from the little cabin with a wave to Sango.  
  
"What was that all about?" Inuyasha inquired curiously once they were out of earshot, moving through the trees at a steady but unhurried pace.  
  
The young woman glanced at him, smiling and shaking her head in amusement. "I think the two of them have finally come to an understanding."  
  
He frowned at her in a puzzled fashion. "What exactly do you mean by that?"  
  
"Just that the two of them have been in love with each other for years and neither one was willing to be the first to admit it," she said, looking away, into the forest, "in case the other didn't feel the same way."  
  
Inuyasha was silent for a moment before uttering a soft but simple, "Oh."  
  
After that they both fell silent for a time, conversation giving way to introspection, the only sounds coming from the rustle of the leaves beneath their feet and in the branches of the trees, which swayed, gently on the wind. The sun had begun its nightly descent, reflecting pink off the clouds, gilding the horizon in flame and casting a fiery, golden light upon the world. At long last Kagome turned to Inuyasha and asked conversationally, "So where was it you were headed exactly?"  
  
Inuyasha's brow furrowed in confusion. "Headed?"  
  
"When you first showed up," she elaborated, "When I asked you how you had gotten hurt you said you were traveling, but you never told me where." She glanced at him sideways, feeling him tense. "Inuyasha?"  
  
His eyes flicked to her, then back ahead, and he answered, in an attempt at a casual voice, "I was on my way home. Well no, that's not quite right; I was trying to get to London -- kind of difficult to do from occupied France," he added wryly.  
  
"You're telling me," she agreed in the same dry tone. "What was there in London then?"  
  
He paused, trying to decide how to go about answering. What was in London? Kikyo, of course -- or at least she had been. Their apartment was still there, as were some of his friends, and he had hoped to figure out where she'd gone and go after her. Well, mission accomplished -- now he knew, and he couldn't care less. And at the moment he was in no mood to explain all this to anyone, least of all Kagome. Besides, why dwell on things that made absolutely no difference now? It wasn't as if he'd ever see Kikyo again.  
  
Finally he answered simply, "I had friends there, among other things. And I thought it would be best if I spent as little time in Nazi territory as possible."  
  
"Mm. What were you doing here in the first place then?"  
  
He winced inwardly. _Fuck, I knew she'd get around to asking that sooner or later, and I don't want to lie to her, but..._ He slowed to a stop, turning her to face him. With a sigh of resignation, the hanyou looked her straight in the eyes and began. "Kagome, there's something I haven't told-"  
  
But he never got the chance to finish. At that moment, in a flurry of movement and rough, indistinct shouts from male voices, the pair of them were attacked from all sides, torn apart form each other. Before he could even register what was happening Inuyasha found himself slammed hard against a tree, and he could feel the blood trickling down the back of his head from the impact. Five tough, thuggish looking men held him in place, restraining his limbs, the fifth one with his hands firmly grasping the hanyou's collar, his ruddy, scarred face inches from Inuyasha's own.  
  
Blinking to clear his wavering vision and try to apprehend the sudden change in the situation, he began to growl low and threatening. Then he heard Kagome scream, "No! Get the hell away from me you -- mmph!" Her voice was muffled and her yells became strangled and desperate.  
  
"Kagome!" he cried, struggling against his restraints. He had to get to her. His eyes darted frantically about but she was nowhere in sight, hidden by the trees and the man currently in Inuyasha's face.  
  
"Shut the hell up!" the man ordered, delivering the hanyou a heavy punch to the gut. It pained him, but not as much as he led these men to believe, doubling over to the extent that he could. The men attached to his arms, however, slammed him roughly against the tree again, before he could use the added leverage to his advantage.  
  
The next second, the silver-haired half-demon found himself staring down the barrel of a gun -- pointed right between his eyes. Playtime was over; they had all the cards.  
  
"We want your money -- all of it, now!" the man demanded, adding with a sinister smirk, "And the wench, well, we'll get our money's worth out of her, won't we boys?"  
  
That made Inuyasha growl even louder, oblivious now to the deadly weapon aimed at his skull. "Don't you fucking touch her you sons of bitches!" he ground out.  
  
The man only held his gaze with cold, mirthless eyes as he rifled through Inuyasha's pockets, taking anything of value he could find, leaving the rest -- what did it matter? He'd be dead when they were through anyway. So would the wench, most likely. The man's smirk grew at the prospect.  
  
A muffled sob could be heard from the ground just beyond where Inuyasha could see, and the man was distracted for a moment, just long enough for him to slam a knee into the bandit's groin, knocking him off balance and causing him to drop the gun in surprise. Quick as a flash the hanyou had wrestled free of the others and delivered swift unconsciousness to each, grabbing the discarded weapon so they couldn't use it against him. It was likely they had more, he knew, but there was no time to think about that -- he had to find her.  
  
He burst through the trees ahead to where Kagome lay sprawled on the ground, scratched and bleeding in several places, one man trying to hold her still and covering her mouth as another wrestled on top of her to tear off her clothing.  
  
"Inmuaashaa!" she screamed biting the first man's hand, so that he swore and slapped her hard across the face.  
  
Inuyasha kicked the man in the jaw, sending him reeling backward into a tree, as he yanked the other, larger man off of the woman, throwing him to the ground and pointing the gun directly at his heart. "Don't move, you bastard," he growled, eyes blazing with fury.  
  
His ear twitched and eyebrows shot up in surprise as Kagome marched up from behind him, grabbing the concealed gun he kept tucked in the back of his belt and training it on the man as well, steady as a rock, a stony look in her eye. All he could do was stare at her. _She knows how to use a gun? And how the hell did she know that was there in the first place?_  
  
Meanwhile, the only remaining conscious bandit drew back his attention, cowering before two very angry figures with guns, hands held up in submission. "Don't shoot! P-please don't shoot...I...I beg you..."  
  
"Get the fuck out of here," Inuyasha growled, and the now pitiful man scampered to do so.  
  
Once he was out of sight they lowered their weapons and Inuyasha turned to gape at Kagome once again. "How did you-"  
  
"Come on, we should get going," she interrupted, "It's getting darker, and I'd rather not be here when they wake up." Without waiting for an answer she turned back in the direction of the village, securing the gun in her own belt and dusting off her torn clothing. He followed after only a moment's pause.  
  
They made the rest of the journey in silence. Kagome was lost in thought. She knew Inuyasha had been shocked when she'd pulled his own gun on that man, and he would probably want her to explain that later. Of course she'd been taught to shoot when she joined the Resistance, and when she'd spotted the telltale lump in the back of his shirt during the fight she went with her instincts. But that would be difficult to explain without explaining a lot of things that could endanger his very life. There it was again -- that same old conclusion. Once again he had been in danger because of her without even realizing it.   
  
Those were no ordinary bandits. He wouldn't have noticed of course, but each had a tattoo on the back of his left hand in the shape of a wolf's head -- they were Kouga's men, on the lookout, undercover. Hell, she wouldn't have known it herself if it weren't for her association with said wolf-demon. And she also knew from the same source that these men were paid to conduct such random 'attacks' on potential spies. Her only hope was that none of them could identify her as Kouga's woman. If they could, it would all be over for her.  
  
A sinking feeling settled in her stomach as she recalled her earlier resolution -- that once they had found Miroku she would tell Inuyasha to go. Now that was done, and it was time to keep her promise to herself. If he left now she might still have a chance of salvaging the situation with Kouga, even if one of those men did come forward. Perhaps if she got to him first and headed them off...along with a bit of 'convincing' -- she shuddered involuntarily at the thought -- she could win back his favor.   
  
But for any of this to work Inuyasha had to disappear from her life. With him around her thoughts became confused, her objectivity compromised, and that could cost not only her life, but many others.  
  
Meanwhile, Inuyasha's thoughts were following a different, yet somewhat similar vein. How the hell did she know about his gun? And why hadn't she asked about it before now? For that matter, where and why had she learned to use a gun like that? He knew from experience that it took great practice to even get used to the idea of pointing such a weapon at another, and he would never have guessed that Kagome was capable of it.  
  
His mind drifted back to the attack itself. Why hadn't he picked up the men's scent or heard them approach? Damn he was getting careless if he couldn't detect a band of dirty, stinking bandits a mile away. He was letting himself get too comfortable, too complacent. He led this woman into danger, planning to protect her, and then let his guard down, leaving them wide open to attack. Shit, she could have been hurt -- or worse.  
  
His eyes flicked briefly to the woman's pensive profile. The sun had set now, the sky the turquoise-blue of twilight, giving the surrounding forest a muted, azure hue. They were not far from the village, but Inuyasha was hardly paying attention as they approached.  
  
_I have to tell her,_ he thought. _I have to tell her the truth; she deserves to know. They're still hunting for me, I know, and after what happened tonight I realize that I might not be able to protect her if the soldiers were to come for me. I can't stay here anymore..._  
  
Without either of them realizing they were doing so, their hands found each other in the growing darkness, their fingers linking, intertwining. It was as if, without words, they knew that this was goodbye. Tonight, he would walk out of her life forever.  
  
* * *  
  
A pair of dark grey eyes peered at the couple from around the edge of a building, watching them stroll down Le Rue d'Artagnan. A slight smirk played across Onigumo's lips as he enjoyed the prospect of siccing the Colonel on the son of a bitch who'd ruined his 'fun' and threatened to kill him just a little while previous, in the woods. That goddamn bastard thought he could scare him off with a gun and get nothing in return. Ha! He knew that the slightest hint of a stranger in the area was enough to send Kouga off half-cocked these days. That phantom pilot of his was becoming quite the thorn in his side, especially with General Naraku watching his every move like a spider waiting for it's prey. With any luck, Kouga would just shoot the jackass and claim he was the pilot, whether it was true or not, in order to protect his reputation. The idea made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside -- well, as warm and fuzzy as a man without a soul could be.  
  
Head bowed, hands tucked in his pockets, Onigumo made his way through the dark, cobble-stoned streets in the direction of the villa. Along the way he began to go over his plan as to how to present his information to the Colonel.  
  
He thought it best not to mention his little 'encounter' with Miss Kagome -- yes, of course he had recognized her. The wench was the talk of the town, Kouga's little mistress. Still, as much as everyone loved to gossip about her, including Kouga's own officers, it was well understood that the man who was foolish enough to do so in the Colonel's presence could consider his life forfeit. He was somewhat hypocritical in his protectiveness toward her, considering the fact that she was essentially his own personal whore, but that was an officer's prerogative; no one dared challenge it. He imagined that actually trying to rape her would have a similarly unpleasant result, should Kouga be made aware of it -- not that he regretted the attempt in the slightest.  
  
No, better to save his own hide. All he wanted was to get that stupid jackass she had been with shot, the one who'd interrupted his fun and beaten up his friends. Fucking arrogant son of a bitch would get what was coming to him for challenging Kouga's Wolf Pack.  
  
The soldiers guarding the front door waved him in curtly after checking his ID, and he made his way up the stairs from the marvelous entrance hall to the Colonel's private office. Just outside the door a secretary in the grey uniform of a Nazi, with her dark-blonde hair bound tightly at the back of her head, off her neck, sat at a neatly organized wooden desk, looking up at him as he approached.  
  
"Name," she demanded in a clipped tone.  
  
"Just tell him I have a bit of interesting news for him. He'll know who it is," he said roughly, meeting her gaze coolly as she tried to stare him into submission.  
  
Finally she conceded, eying the man with contempt, but nodding and rising to go inform the Colonel.  
  
* * *  
  
Kouga looked up from his desk at the sharp rap of her knuckles against the wood of the door. He glanced over at the General, who simply raised an eyebrow as if to say, _Well you don't expect me to answer, do you?_ before looking away in disinterest. Kouga narrowed his eyes, stifling a low growl of frustration with difficulty, and answered shortly, in a rather unpleasant voice, "Come."  
  
The door opened to reveal his secretary. "Colonel," she began, sounding a bit annoyed herself, "there is a man here to see you. He says he has 'interesting news'."  
  
Kouga's eyes flashed with intrigue, his frustration with Naraku all but forgotten as he stood to come around in front of the desk. "Send him in immediately," he said sharply. There was only one thing this could be about, and he was anxious to pursue any trace of that goddamn phantom.  
  
The large, thuggish man in dark clothing sidled into the room, a smug expression on his face which seemed to say quite clearly, _I know something you don't know...  
  
_ "What have you got?" Kouga demanded once the door had been closed and the secretary was out of earshot. Onigumo's dull smirk widened slightly at the urgency in his boss' voice.  
  
"We came across a stranger in the woods today," he said, milking the story for all it was worth with the lazy, taunting quality of his speech. "He fought well, managed to take us all out -- well, all except me of course. Long silver hair, glowing yellow eyes, dog ears, claws, fangs, the works. Definitely youkai-"  
  
"Hanyou," interrupted a cold, feminine voice from the shadows. Kikyo sauntered forward, one eyebrow arched elegantly, arms crossed over her chest and stylish black heels clicking against the polished wood floor, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent room. Again her voice, like siren call, chill as ice, yet velvety and alluring in a way only she could manage, entranced them to silence. "He is a hanyou, and his name is Inuyasha. I know him well. In fact," she added with a sardonic smile, "we were once engaged."  
  
Naraku shared in her amusement as their eyes met briefly, as though enjoying a private joke, before she returned her hard, Lilithian gaze to Kouga.   
  
"What else do you know about him?" the wolf demon demanded.  
  
"Plenty. But here's the best part: his brother, Sesshomaru, is one of the highest-ranking generals in the United States Army. If you were to capture Inuyasha he would be invaluable to you, I'm sure."  
  
Immediately Kouga rounded on Onigumo. "Tell the men to redouble their efforts. Wake Major Schultz and tell him you're on my orders. We will capture this goddamn pilot if I have to go out and do it myself. Go!"  
  
"Jawhol," he answered, with only a nod instead of the customary salute as he exited the room. After all, he wasn't regular army personnel and technically not bound by the chain of command. But as long as he followed Kouga's orders he got paid. And every once in awhile, like tonight, he took real pleasure in doing so.  
  
What else is a man without a soul to do with his time?  
  
* * *

A/N: Okay, the next chapter is half written, but Alter Ego is my next priority for updating. Still, you have no idea how motivating reviews can be, so if you all send me your feedback I just might be able to get this one out in one week instead of two! (hint, hint)

    And please, please, please tell me if you're getting bored or if you have criticisms. I'd be a bit of a hypocrite if I couldn't take it, considering how much I critique other fics! Ultimately what I'm trying to do is improve my skills as a writer, so everything, good or bad, helps immensely. Thanks everyone!

    Till next time!


	9. Rain

Author's Note: Okay, I have good news and bad news: The good news is I managed to update this story in one week instead of two (thanks for the encouragement everyone!) – the bad news is that this chapter is just a bit shorter than usual, and it's probably my last update of either of my current fics for about two weeks. (please don't kill me, especially Alter Ego readers! I'll give extra attention to AE when I have time to write again, I promise)

    The reasons: The length is because it was really the only way to make the timing all work out the way I want it to without letting it drag and get really redundant (I hate that). The lack of updates is because the show I'm in, _Harvey_, is in production this week so I have dress rehearsals and shows every night, plus at the end of the run we have to strike the set (which means we literally stay up all night taking it apart piece by piece. There are only about 12 of us in the cast, plus a stage crew, and the set is gigantic – you do the math). Not only that but I'm taking my SATs on Saturday morning (right before the last show and the strike) and it's AP exam week next week, so study, study, study! In short, I'm very busy. Hopefully I won't just drop dead on Sunday because that makes it really hard to write…

    But once the show and tests are out of the way my life will return to normal…well until the next show I'm planning to be in starts up (in a few weeks), plus my summer job and the list of stuff I have to get done over the summer. But fanfiction is really high up on that list so update frequency should increase once school's out!

    Oh and just to note, I think this fic is approximately half way done, but I'm not sure. It all depends on how long each section turns out to be, and there's one section of my outline that I'm planning to expand on further than I at first thought, so who knows. Suffice it to say, it's not over yet.

InuGoddess: That's where it came from! I knew I'd gotten the line from somewhere but I couldn't place it! Yeah, I used to be obsessed with Back to the Future (I practically knew the second one by heart), so I guess it's one of those things that's sort of imbedded in my subconscious or something. Anyway, glad you liked the chapter and thanks so much for emailing me even though ff.net wouldn't let you review. I feel special! luv ya

Fallen-Snow: Happy Birthday! To answer your question (well, the one I can answer without giving anything away, of course!) yes Naraku and Onigumo are separate in this story. I don't usually do that, but it was sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing. Onigumo's character was simply referred to as "the man" until my very last draft, when I thought to slip in his name. Oh, and you've convinced me, I'll read Life Exchange. Oooh, did you hear Rozefire is planning to write a follow up to Dead Famous? It's on her bio as an upcoming fic. I'm so excited! It's my favorite story!

Crystal Music: Cool, I'm glad someone prefers this story to Alter Ego. I like AE a lot, of course, but it's more for fun. This plot is much more complex and I really enjoy writing it. And I love bad guys – there's a reason I always get cast as the villain in the shows I do! Anyway, looks like this story took priority after all!

tsuki miko: You and I are of one mind as far as Kikyo is concerned. I just love writing her evilly, you know? Glad to hear you're not bored (I'm so paranoid) and looks like I got my motivation cause here I am! Thanks!

Missing in Action 

Chapter 9: Rain

It was fully dark by the time the pair reached home, but the stars were hidden behind a layer of clouds that had made its way in during the evening.  
  
Kagome didn't bother to flip on the light as they entered the cafe, moving over in the direction of the stairs. They both had yet to speak since the incident in the woods; neither of them knew what to say or how to begin.  
  
Just before she reached the stairs, Inuyasha's voice stopped her. "Wait." His grim tone so closely echoed her own feelings of dread that she began to realize he was thinking the same thing as she was -- though why, she could not say.  
  
Kagome turned to face him, taking a few steps forward. She had hoped to postpone this conversation, but apparently he wished to get it over with sooner rather than later.  
  
"I can't stay here, Kagome," he murmured, meeting her eyes, his voice low and soft. "There's something I haven't told you, and I should have, but I was afraid you'd make me leave. Now I realize you would have been right to do so, and you deserve to know the truth, for...well, for everything."  
  
Her brow lowered slightly in confusion. What was he talking about?  
  
He stepped closer, putting a hand gently on her shoulder and sliding it down her arm to her hand, which he simply held in his own. He looked down at her soft, white skin, her hand so small in his, and felt once again an overwhelming urge to protect her in any way he could. It served only to strengthen his resolve; the only way for him to protect her was to disappear.  
  
Amber eyes met hazel and he opened his mouth to speak. "Please don't hate me for lying to you," he entreated softly. "I told you that I got injured in a crossfire -- that's not true. The truth is...I'm a pilot for the American Air Force. My plane was shot down near here when our convoy was ambushed and I needed to treat my injuries, so I broke in here and borrowed a few things."  
  
Her eyes widened as he spoke, not in anger, but in surprised understanding. After all, what right had she to be angry with him? His secret paled in comparison to hers. But the implications of what he was telling her added a whole new dimension to the situation.  
  
"Kagome, they're still looking for me," he continued tensely, conviction and unhappiness warring on his face, "and after what happened today I know I might not be able to keep you safe if they were to find me here. I won't have you hurt because of me. That's why...it's best if I just leave." He fell silent, trying to gauge her reaction, but all he could see was shock. "Kagome, please say something."  
  
Her mind was a whirl, trying to recalculate everything to account for this small revelation. _He_ was the pilot Kouga was searching for! If Kouga found him Inuyasha would almost certainly be killed, if not tortured just for good measure. And according to the wolf-demon himself, they believed he was in the woods, that he wouldn't have been fool enough to go into the village. If Inuyasha left now, he would be caught, perhaps even killed on sight. But if he stayed, Kagome would have little to no chance of restoring Kouga's favor, and that could result in the destruction of their entire operation, not to mention the loss of many other lives in the process.  
  
What the hell could she say? She was in no position to explain the situation to Inuyasha, so that left her with a choice: his life, or their cause? Her heart ached at the prospect. One life or possible hundreds, even thousands, if you counted all the soldiers who might be lost in the lengthening of this wretched war?  
  
Outside it had begun to rain, each tiny, insignificant drop of water making a tapping sound against the walls of the building, leaving thin trails of wetness on the windows as they rolled down the clear glass one by one.  
  
She closed her eyes and lowered her head, a silent tear sliding down her cheek. Inuyasha could only watch her in concern and apprehension. Finally she spoke, and it took all her experience to keep her voice steady. "I don't hate you Inuyasha. I...I understand why you did what you did, and I understand why you have to leave." Her heart broke with the words, but she fought any further tears and forced herself to meet his eyes once again.  
  
He looked back at her intensely. Slowly, without even thinking, he slid his arm around her waist and drew her closer. Her eyes drifted shut as she succumbed to him without resistance, letting him capture her lips in a gentle kiss. She wound her arms around his neck, unable to hold back the tears any longer as she pressed closer to him, deepening the embrace.  
  
The rain came harder, what once had been a gentle pitter-pat growing into an insistent drumming as the drops grew bigger, falling closer together.  
  
He could feel the wetness of her tears on his own cheeks, taste the salt of them on her lips even as he tasted her for the first and last time. They both knew that in a war-torn world people came and went like the seasons, and each, for his or her own reasons, knew they would never see the other again. This kiss, first and last, was filled with goodbye.  
  
When finally their lips parted, Inuyasha looked into hazel eyes full of a pain that he didn't quite understand. He gently wiped away her tears with his thumb, kissed her lightly one last time, and turned to go.  
  
She watched him cross the room slowly, grudgingly, and her heart screamed at her to stop him. She wanted so to stop him, make him stay where she knew it was safe -- or at least as safe as it could be -- but her head told her that was a selfish wish, and one she could not afford. Without a word he stepped out into the pouring rain, the door swinging shut behind him with a soft click, barely audible through the sound of the water that beat relentlessly against the walls and roof of the building. A flash was visible through the window, followed not long after by the ominous rumble of thunder in the distance.  
  
"Goodbye..." she whispered. It was done. He was gone forever, and all that was left for her was to repair the damage his mere presence had wrought on her operation and forget about him. She'd done it once before, when Hojo died and she'd first joined the Resistance. That was when she had learned to close herself off -- a necessary skill, especially in her line of work. But somehow she suspected that this time would be very different.  
  
The shrill ring of the telephone rent the air, stirring her from her thoughts and almost immediately giving her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. There was only one person in the world that that could be, and it was with deepest dread that she answered it, fighting to keep her voice light and pleasant despite the turmoil within.  
  
"Hello? Kouga, sweetheart, what a nice surprise..."  
  
* * *  
  
The rain cascaded down upon Inuyasha, soaking him to the bone as he trudged through the streets of Asile, which looked almost like small rivers from all the water rushing down the gutters. He couldn't let himself look back; he knew that for once in his life he had made the right choice in leaving, and he refused to be the cause of any trouble that might befall her.  
  
"Goodbye, Kagome..." he muttered, unwittingly answering her own whispered words from within the cafe.  
  
He couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him, but by now he knew his way well enough. After all this was the same route he had taken to get into the town that first time, and it had been dark then as well. It felt strange to be leaving for good, knowing he would never lay eyes upon the village or it's inhabitants again. How could it have become so familiar in such a short time?  
  
The pavement grew rougher, the occasional lights from the window of a house or shop growing fewer and farther between, and before long he found himself in the countryside, with only the rain and the darkness for company.  
  
* * *  
  
Kagome lay awake in the darkness, spooned against a sleeping Kouga, whose arm was draped around her bare waist, his calloused hand resting casually over her breast. He had asked her to stay the night this time, and she didn't dare refuse him, considering her already precarious position with him. She knew he suspected something, but she wasn't sure he knew _what_ he suspected. It seemed to her that he was testing her loyalty to him, so she'd agreed to stay, trying her best to make it sound as if she didn't mind at all.  
  
But she did mind; of course she minded. How could she not? For hours now she had lain here beside him, trying with all her might not to think of Inuyasha, and most of all, trying not to imagine that it was his body she was pressed up against. Such thoughts could only bring torment. She was afraid even to go to sleep, lest she should speak his name.  
  
When had this even happened? When, between all the fights and close encounters, had she come to care about that man so goddamn much? Why now, when nothing could be done about it?  
  
Outside the window the rain continued, but it seemed to be letting up a bit. The occasional rumble of thunder was low, like a mournful growl to Kagome's ears. _Like Inuyasha's growl..._  
  
Behind her, Kouga stirred with a growl of his own, pulling at her to turn and face him. He kissed her sleepily, and Kagome knew what he wanted. Reluctantly she submitted, allowing him to continue in the direction he was headed.  
  
But as Kouga proceeded to lay her again, there was another roll of thunder, so much like Inuyasha's protective, possessive growl that, if she hadn't known better, she almost could have sworn he was right there in the room.  
  
_Inuyasha...I'm so sorry..._ _  
  
_* * *  
  
She must have fallen asleep at some point, because she awoke the next morning to see that the rain had stopped, though the sky was still a light, but murky, grey. Her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the light, and at first she was a bit confused as to where she was and why she was here of all places. But then the events of the previous night came back to her and she could feel her heart sink in her chest.  
  
Turning her head slightly she realized she was alone; Kouga was nowhere in sight, though his side of the bed was rumpled in evidence of his having been there a short time before. Frowning in slight puzzlement, though she couldn't say she was disappointed in his absence, she wondered where he could have gone. A glance at the clock on the wall had her more fully alert however; it was past noon.  
  
_Oh my god, the Cafe!_, she thought. _Sango's not there and I'm the only one to run it!_ "Jesus we barely make a profit as it is," the woman whined moodily, slumping down under the covers. "Oh fuck it," she muttered, her voice grim and cynical "I deserve a day off, I suppose. My life is going to hell anyway." _And so am I, most likely,_ she thought wryly, considering her relationship with Kouga. _But how much worse could that be than this?_ This did not improve her mood in the least.  
  
_Speak of the devil..._ The door opened then to reveal Kouga smiling that would-be-charming-if-I-didn't-know-him smile of his that she had learned to see through like glass.  
  
"Kagome, you're awake," he said, coming to sit beside her on the bed. She took a breath and relaxed her face into the calmly contented expression of a woman waking from a night of ecstasy, thinking all the while, _Oh what a tangled web we weave..._  
  
"Good morning," she replied lazily, as he brushed a lock of hair back from her face, letting his hand linger over her cheek.  
  
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in an arrogant fashion.  
  
She gave a little giggle and ran a flirtatious finger down his arm teasingly, answering in a suggestively coy tone, "Very well -- when I did sleep that is."  
  
A low growl of satisfaction emanated from within his chest. _He's so predictable,_ she thought in disgust.  
  
"Once you're dressed you can come down and have some breakfast, though it's really more like lunch time, and then I want to show you something." This last bit brought a gleam to his eye, which piqued her curiosity. _What could he want to show me? Some new piece of art, no doubt. Dear god, just please don't let it be a sexual innuendo._  
  
She nodded and he bent to press a gentle kiss to her lips, though it lasted perhaps a bit longer than she would have preferred, before rising to leave. Once he was safely out the door she let out a weary sigh. _So this is my life then. How much longer is this war going to last?_  
  
Of course there was no answer to be had to that question, not that she had expected one; gods don't frequently reveal such petty details, in the grand scheme of things that is, to ordinary people like her. Finally she managed to drag herself out of bed and get dressed, making herself look presentable, if not exactly ravishing. But Kouga wouldn't care as long as she looked 'satisfied'; his ego was the size of the Empire State Building, and ever craving more praise.  
  
After running a brush through her hair and smoothing out her skirt, she exited the room in the direction of the stairs, to the dining room. Once there she discovered a lovely breakfast ready and waiting for her. If there was one thing Kouga did to her satisfaction it was the meals; his cooks were excellent indeed, and this was no exception.  
  
Just as she was finishing the last of her eggs the wolf-youkai appeared to her. "Good, good, you're almost done. Come, Kagome, I want to show you my surprise."  
  
That gleam was back in full force and the woman's curiosity got the better of her. She stood and took the man's proffered hand, allowing him to lead her from the room. He guided her across the grand main entryway and through a doorway, beneath the sweeping staircase, that she'd never entered before. It revealed a stone-walled set of stairs, which appeared to lead down into the basement of the villa.   
  
Kagome eyed the man sideways as they descended it and walked down a narrow stone passageway. "Where are we going? The wine cellar? Or is this where you keep your art collection?"  
  
He merely raised his eyebrows evasively with an amused sort of smile. "You'll see soon enough. But I guarantee you'll be pleased."  
  
They made a couple of turns here and there, Kagome's curiosity growing ever stronger as they moved. Finally they reached a passageway that dead-ended with a heavy, metal door, outside which a grey-clad soldier stood.  
  
Kagome frowned questioningly at Kouga as he released her and moved to open the door. What was he up to? Was this some sort of trap? Did he intend to lock her up?  
  
All her questions were answered as the wolf-youkai swung back the heavy door and nudged her forward so she could peer into the dark room beyond.  
  
Her heart stopped, time stopped, for all she could see was a pair of very familiar, shocked, amber eyes peering back at her through the darkness and the slight glow of silver framing them as his hair reflected the light from the hall. She had never expected to see those eyes again.  
  
_Oh my god...Inuyasha..._  
  
* * *

A/N: Review pretty, pretty please -- good or bad, whatever! I'm going to need a few pick-me-ups this week especially with all this stuff going on, so drop me a line and tell me what you think. Emails, IMs, anything is welcome and appreciated.

    Oh, if you do review, tell me, did you see the end part coming or was it a surprise? If you saw it coming, when did you first suspect? I'm just curious – it helps to know this kind of thing for my writing in general because, as I always say, _I_ know what's coming since I wrote it, so it's always obvious to me! Thanks. I love you guys!


	10. Betrayal

Author's Note: Whew, it's been a while, eh? I'm really sorry to have left you with a cliffie for three weeks, but this past week turned out to be a busy one too (it kind of snuck up on me…). My show went very well, for those who care, and I've been auditioning for more (already), plus I survived the AP test (it really sucked though). Anyway, there's like less than a month until summer, so I just have to keep going until then, when I can devote more time to writing (I hope)!

Oh by the way, thanks to all of you darling readers out there I broke 100 reviews! Score! Seriously, I got about 20 reviews just in the first day after posting, which is really awesome. I don't think I've ever gotten this many for a single chapter before. I feel so loved!

Soul of Kagome: You're amazing! You've been my first reviewer for like three chapters, and within about an hour of my posting, before the change even shows up on my bio page. And about Kouga, well, what can I say, he's a necessary evil in this case (I totally agree with you though – I cringed as I wrote it). Love ya!

Code Name: Anrui Yuy: 'Oh shit' is right…in fact I've nicknamed little parts like the end of the last chapter where everything's about to fall apart 'Oh shit' moments.

WindSprite: Yeah, I recognize your name so I'm pretty sure you've reviewed me at some point. Glad you like the story so much though! I love historical fiction too (obviously).

Fallen-Snow: I'm not dead! You knew that already though from Alter Ego. Oh, and I'll email you about Life Exchange if/when I get a chance (at some point here…). Also, you'll be happy to hear that this chapter is longer than the last one!

Tenken no Miko: Don't worry, I don't mind the rant, but I'm afraid I'm a bit of a Kikyo hater -- mainly because she gets in the way all the time, but also because it's just so much fun to write her as evil. I do agree, however, that she's anything but air-headed (although Rosefyre's somewhat air-headed Kikyo in 28 Days is hysterical). Anyway, glad my Kag and Kik don't annoy you – that's always a good sign! And don't worry, I know exactly where I'm going…you'll just have to wait and find out…

Mini Nicka: You're my 100th reviewer! Yay! Keep reading, it gets better…

Crystal Music: I love Midsummer Night's Dream! What part did you play? I hope it went well.

Peanut Gallery – Alaska's Own: Nope, it wasn't actually him growling, just Kag's mind playing tricks on her. That would be bad, wouldn't it?

By the way, it sounds like most of you saw the ending of the last chapter coming around the time Kouga mentioned the surprise, which is about when I intended, so that's good. I was mainly afraid that it would be obvious from the time he left or something. Anyway, love you all, and please, enjoy!

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 10: Betrayal

In the early hours of the morning, just as dawn was beginning to break, Teiresias sat at the old, oak desk in his small, cozy little study with a book open before him. The young couple was sound asleep in the next room, but he kept an ear out for them in case they awoke. It wouldn't do to have them discover him at his work.  
  
The candle cast a flickering light across the pages as he turned them silently, scanning for the particular code he required. The book was actually a copy of _The Iliad,_ however it had been specially printed such that interspersed throughout the narrative were keys to some of the standard Gestapo codes.  
  
Book eighteen, _The Immortal Shield,_ it read; that was the one. And sure enough, just a few pages in he found the cipher he was looking for.  
  
Taking a fresh sheet of paper before him, he began composing a message, translating as he wrote:  
  
_Major Hochstetter, Gestapo Headquarters,  
  
I have two of them in my care at the moment, and they are out from under the eyes of Kouga's men. They suspect nothing, so with a little time I should have no trouble gaining their confidence and drawing information out of them without formal interrogation. Therefore I request that you do not interfere with my proceedings; I will deliver them to you when I can do no more with them myself.  
  
Heil Hitler,  
Teiresias_  
  
With that done he folded the letter in half and placed it inside the book just as the sounds of stirring drifted in from the next room. He'd have to wait until later on in the day for an opportunity to send it on its way, so he carefully replaced the book on one of the makeshift shelves he had built, which were now more than filled such that a great many of his books were stacked on the floor about the room.

-- -- --  
  
He blinked a couple of times trying to clear his vision, but the room itself was so cold and dark that it hardly seemed to make a difference whether his eyes were open or closed. He was lying on what felt like a bare sort of cot, and reaching out beside him he could feel the hard, cold surface of stone that made up the wall.  
  
Using his arms to support him he pushed himself into a sitting position, pausing with a wince and a moan as a dull ache lanced through his skull. How the hell did he get here? The last thing he remembered he'd been walking through the woods, headed away from the village...away from Kagome. Then it came back to him; somewhere along the way he'd been attacked and hit over the head with what felt like a sledgehammer. Well, that would explain the headache, anyway...  
  
The sound of footsteps, at least two sets, echoed in the hallway, coming closer and closer to where he sat. There were muffled voices beyond the wall, and Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in curiosity. Just then, with the sound of scraping metal, a latch was pulled back and the door to the cell creaked open.  
  
For a moment Inuyasha blinked against the flood of yellow light streaming into his dark sanctuary, but as his eyes adjusted he saw the silhouette of a female figure in the doorway. He peered out at her suspiciously, and when she shifted into the room and flicked a switch, the light from a bare bulb on the ceiling illuminated her features. Stunned recognition and confusion sparked within him at the sight of the one woman he'd thought he'd never see again, quickly followed by a feeling of dread as she was followed into the room by a man in a crisp, grey uniform. He knew those colors all too well.  
  
His eyes took in the officer, who was standing beside her with a possessive arm around her waist, and then slipped back to her face with a cold accusation in their golden depths. She had looked surprised for a fleeting moment but now her expression was closed and distant, making him wonder if he might only have imagined the initial reaction. He watched in growing dismay as she turned to the wolf-demon with a tender smile that wrenched at his heart.  
  
"You've caught him! Oh how wonderful for you, darling! Now you can finally get some rest," she chided him sweetly, sounding quite unlike the woman Inuyasha had come to know -- and that only angered him further. She traced little figure eights on the man's chest affectionately and the hanyou had to suppress a growl. "I worry about you so when you get over-stressed."  
  
"I knew you'd be pleased," he murmured and captured her lips in a kiss that made Inuyasha want to jump up and tear the man to shreds, consequences be damned. And he probably would have at that, if it hadn't been for the fact that Kagome was responding to him willingly. The sharp knife of betrayal wrenched in his gut and he was rendered speechless, motionless, as though all his anger and conviction were being sapped from him by her very presence, leaving him hollow and empty.  
  
Releasing Kagome, Kouga spoke to the guards, who stood patiently at attention just within the door. "Keep watch; I'll discuss what to do with him with the General -- someone will be down to interrogate him before long, I should think." With that the couple swept out the door without so much as a backward glance, and Inuyasha found himself once more alone.  
  
His voice was thick with pain and anger as he whispered into the emptiness, "Kagome..."  
  
As the flood of mixed emotions that had assailed him upon her arrival ebbed, a cool reason took its place and he began to fully comprehend his situation. Not only had she lead him on, making him believe that she might care for him and getting him to lower his guard, but the moment he trusted her, confided in her, she turned around and stabbed him in the back. Kagome, _his_ Kagome, had handed him over to the enemy the second she found out who he really was. Handed him over to that wolf-demon...her lover..._That lying, scheming, double-crossing little whore..._  
  
His jaw clenched at the thought and his ire began to rise once more. But this time it wasn't directed at the wolf-demon; instead it was focused fully on Kagome, the second woman he had ever truly trusted, and the second to betray that trust.  
  
Pushing himself to his feet, he began to pace the width of the small room like a caged tiger, his clawed hands flexing with the urge to inflict violence upon something, anything, to relieve the rage within him. Finally it reached a boiling point and he grabbed hold of the cot he had been sitting on and hurled it into the wall with a painful, primal roar, filled to the brim with fury and frustration. "Kagomeeeeee!" he cried in irate anguish, so loudly that it seemed the sound would forever echo off the stone walls and passages of the dungeons.

-- -- -- _  
_  
There was a small, white statuette made of flat-glazed porcelain that sat upon one of the antique tables near the door of the parlor, and it was one of the few pieces in Kouga's collection that Kagome actually liked, though she was never sure exactly why. It was of an elegantly slender and beautiful woman, arms crossed modestly over her chest, glancing back over her right shoulder with her long hair cascading to her waist in graceful waves. For some unknown reason something about that statue had always intrigued her, and she often found herself gazing at it, trying to contemplate the secretive yet deeply despairing, longing expression on the woman's face.  
  
Today, once again, she was looking into the woman's face and saw reflected there the very image of the turmoil in her own heart. Inuyasha was here; Kouga had caught him. She'd known it was bound to happen, and yet as long as he remained free there had been a chance that he would make it home safe, without ever having to be mixed up in the web of lies she had woven to protect herself, to serve the cause. Now he was caught in it as well, even if he didn't know it yet.  
  
If only she could get to him and explain everything, maybe he could forgive her. She wanted more than ever to make him understand, for the look of utter betrayal she had seen in his golden eyes had been like a knife to her own heart. She couldn't let him go on believing that she had trapped him, but first and foremost she had to maintain the illusion for Kouga, as much as it killed her to do it. But how could she reach him? How could she tell him the truth without being caught in her own web?  
  
There was a very faint, far off sound, like an indistinct cry that she couldn't quite make out, but it seemed to be coming from far below the floor -- from the dungeons. _Inuyasha... _she thought miserably.  
  
"Kagome," Kouga's voice snapped her back to reality as he entered the parlor, closely followed by Naraku, "You remember the General."  
  
"Yes, of course," she replied with a smile and a polite nod in the direction of the man in question.  
  
"My dear, the General and I have some business to attend to, so if you would excuse us please...?" he indicated the door and she caught his meaning immediately.  
  
"Oh yes, of course, I'll just leave you to it then." Just as she was on her way out a thought occurred to her, and she paused, turning back to Kouga and trying to sound off-hand. "Say, would it be alright if I went and spoke to the prisoner a bit further? He fascinates me so, and who knows, perhaps I can get a bit of information from him for you."  
  
Kouga raised an eyebrow at that, and she trailed a reassuring hand lovingly down his arm, subtly coaxing him into agreement. "Oh come know, don't tell me you're jealous. You know there's only one man for me. Please?" she pouted cutely and he gave in right on cue.  
  
"Alright, but just for a little while. And call the guards if he starts to get fresh," he added in a half-growl.  
  
"Thank you darling," she said with a bright smile and a peck on the cheek before turning to leave once again. Unfortunately she'd misjudged her position and accidentally bumped into the table behind her, sending the small porcelain statue crashing to the floor.  
  
She gasped as the figure shattered into a million pieces at her feet, and quickly knelt to begin collecting them. "Oh no... Oh Kouga, I'm so sorry, it was an accident!" she said frantically.  
  
"It's alright sweetheart, don't worry about it," he said soothingly, crouching down just behind her, and she glanced back at him with troubled eyes.  
  
"But it was a priceless piece of art, wasn't it? And it was one of your favorites!"  
  
"Ah, well, it's not that important really. I can easily find another equally lovely piece to replace it."  
  
"Are you sure? You're not angry?" she asked.  
  
"I'm sure, really," he replied with a reassuring smile that somehow vaguely seemed to her to serve the opposite of it's intent.  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief nonetheless, and allowed him to help her to her feet, a small piece of the broken statue still clutched in her hand. "Thank you, for not being angry. I'm so sorry."  
  
"Don't give it another thought. Now run along, the maid will clean up the rest."  
  
With a nod she did as he bade, careful to watch her step this time. Once out in the entrance hall she noticed the porcelain shard that remained in her hand. It was a piece of the woman's head, with half of that beautiful, mysterious face missing. One haunting eye gazed back at her, as though seeing into her very soul, and she slowed to a stop, nearly entranced. A cold shiver ran down her spine before she recalled her original intent. Dread mingled with hope in anticipation of her encounter with Inuyasha, and she pocketed the statue shard as she headed toward the stairs that led down to the dungeons.

-- -- --  
  
"Kouga sent me," Kagome explained to the guard before the heavy, metal door in the dim passageway. "He said it would be alright if I came down to talk with the prisoner a bit, see if I can draw any information from him while they're deciding what should be done."  
  
The man gave her a patronizing smile that almost bordered on lewdness -- came with the territory of being the colonel's mistress -- and an overly polite nod. "Of course, Miss Kagome. Go right ahead." He unlocked the door with a series of clanking sounds and a jingle of keys before pushing it aside and bowing her past mockingly.  
  
She was quite used to such treatment and frankly she had more important things to attend to than this man's attitude, so she ignored it and simply turned to him saying, "Oh, and would you please stand at the end of the hall while I'm in here. Kouga's orders, due to the sensitive nature of the information we might be dealing with -- you understand."  
  
"I'm afraid I'm under _direct_ orders to stay right here and see that the prisoner is secure," he replied, sounding somewhat irked at the idea of taking orders from Kouga's woman.  
  
But she didn't back down. "You needn't be that far away. He'd still have to get past you, unless you think he's capable of digging through stone walls, but in that case the room itself wouldn't be secure, now would it?"  
  
He narrowed his eyes and sneered, but said, "Very well, _Miss_ Kagome," as if to reemphasize her lack of rank, before heading off down the hall.  
  
Finally she entered the room fully, closing the door behind her and turning to Inuyasha with some trepidation. She found him sitting on the cot (which had been righted once again) with his back to the wall, one arm propped up on his knee and his head bowed so that the thick, snowy bangs hid his eyes in shadow.  
  
"Inuyasha," she said in a voice so small it was almost a whisper. He made no indication that he was even aware of her presence. "Inuyasha," she tried again, almost pleadingly, as pain and a strange sort of fear slipped into her voice, yet again there was no response. Summoning her courage she crossed and took a seat before him on the cot. "Inuyasha, please speak to me..."  
  
At last he raised his head slowly, and the look of utter hatred in his eyes gave new focus to her fear. It wasn't that she was afraid he would hurt her -- in fact a part of her even thought that would be better -- but that he could look on her with such spite, such...betrayal. She couldn't speak, couldn't break the silent hold of those beautiful amber eyes fixed upon her in disgust.  
  
"I have nothing to say to you," he said coldly, with an icy calm that was terribly unlike him. Yet she could sense that it was a mere cover for the rage that boiled beneath the surface.  
  
"Then at least let me explain, please, Inuyasha," she begged in a whisper.  
  
"It's not as if I can stop you, is it? I'm your _prisoner_ here, so go on, explain yourself," he spat, the cool facade quickly deteriorating as he shoved off the cot and began to pace, "Explain why you betrayed me to the Nazi's, for god's sake, the people who are destroying your homeland as we speak. Explain why you led me to believe you gave a damn about me and then let me walk right into a trap! Explain why you let me kiss you when you've been fucking that Nazi for god knows how long! Explain that!" By the end of the speech he was half shouting, half growling, and his eyes were blazing with temper.  
  
She leapt up and grabbed at his arm but he shook her off. "Please, Inuyasha, I swear, I didn't betray you, at least not in the way you think-"  
  
He interrupted her. "I suppose you think it's fun, eh? Seducing passing soldiers, playing them like fools for your own amusement and then feeding them to the wolf when the time is right! Was I enough of a fool for you Kagome? Was it fun to watch me run around in circles trying to figure you out? How many guys fell for that story about Hojo, huh?!"  
  
There was a ringing 'smack' as Kagome slapped him across the face and he caught her wrist and growled at her, but she refused to be intimidated. "Don't you dare throw that in my face," she warned with a glare. "I didn't lie to you, Inuyasha, and I never intended for this to happen, I swear. I do care for you, honestly, and I never told Kouga about you. I should have told you to leave weeks ago, but I didn't want...I couldn't stand the thought of never seeing you again..."  
  
"Nice try," he said, releasing her wrist with a shove. "You must really think I'm an idiot. You think I'll fall for the same trick twice? I suppose this time I'm supposed to confide in you all my great military secrets, right? Then you promise you'll get me out of here and go running back to the wolf while I pine away down here. Sorry bitch, I don't think so," he scoffed, turning away.  
  
"No, Inuyasha, you don't understand." she put a hand on his shoulder but he shrugged her off again. "Inuyasha," she said firmly, "Look at me, alright? Just let me explain."  
  
Reluctantly he turned to face her, arms folded in a closed position. It wasn't perfect but it was the best she was going to get. Taking a deep breath she began speaking, quietly so as not to be overheard. "I'm in the French Resistance." His eyes narrowed skeptically, but she pressed on. "So are Miroku and Sango. We...we gather and pass on German secrets to the allies through a spy network. That's why I'm with Kouga -- he's my source, nothing more, though he doesn't know anything about it of course. Inuyasha," she took a step toward him, and he didn't back away, which she took as a sign that he was considering her, "I wanted to tell you the truth, I swear, but I just couldn't. Not only would it have put our lives and our work in danger, but your life as well. I knew all along that Kouga was looking for a downed pilot, but I never realized it was you until you told me, and by then it was too late. If you'd stayed..." she trailed off, unable to put her confused thoughts and feelings into words.  
  
But his voice was softer, less harsh when he spoke. "What? What if I had stayed?"  
  
She swallowed, looking away. "I...Kouga suspected me already, and if you'd stayed I would have been...distracted. The only way I could keep it together was if you weren't there, and if you had stayed and I failed, eventually you would have been caught along with us anyway. I knew they would catch you...I just never thought it would be so soon. I hoped they wouldn't..."  
  
"Kagome," he began, and she looked up with hope at the tone of his voice. "I believe you," he murmured.  
  
Those three words were more glorious to her ears than any other's she could imagine. A smile spread across her face and she breathed a sigh of relief moving to throw her arms around his neck and press her lips to his, but the happiness melted from her body when he didn't kiss her back, only pulled away with a shake of his head. "No," he said simply, and turned away again, leaving her to stare helplessly at his back.  
  
"Inuyasha...?" she questioned weakly. "I thought...I thought you said you believed me..."  
  
"I do."  
  
"Are you still angry with me?" she asked quietly.  
  
"No."  
  
"Then why...?"  
  
"I don't know..." he replied, trying to reason for himself why exactly he was pushing her away.  
  
A silence fell between them, and Kagome's gaze lowered to the floor. He was right to stop her; she knew it. Nothing had changed from before; she still had a job to do and he was still a prisoner; that was that. There could be no happy ending in all of this, from where they now stood -- only the best of a bad situation.  
  
Tears threatened to spill, but she blinked them back. Slowly she approached him once more. "At least...kiss me once Inuyasha...please..." she whispered.  
  
The sound of sadness in her voice broke his will and he gave in to her request. He took her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers, deepening the kiss when her arms wound around his neck. He tasted her hungrily, the way he'd always wanted to, and his mind began to muddle. He nearly forgot what it was they had been arguing about, so surrounded by her was he -- her scent, her flavor, her spirit.  
  
But the real world came crashing down upon them when a voice from behind Kagome spoke up sharply. "I knew you couldn't be trusted, you backstabbing little whore."  
  
They broke the kiss abruptly and Kagome whirled around to see none other than Kouga standing in the doorway.

-- -- --

A/N: Well, what'cha think? I'll do my best to update in a timely fashion this time, but you know how it is. Anyway, review please – it's the highlight of my day!

P.S. Not that anyone really cares (except obsessive compulsive little me, that is) but in the notes at the end of chapter 4 I said that the line "Search your feelings; you know it to be true," came from _Return of the Jedi_. Well, I was wrong; it's from _The Empire Strikes Back_. Vader says it to Luke during the scene where he cuts off his hand and tells him he's his father (like I said, not that anyone cares). Ahh, now I feel better…


	11. Femme Fatale

Author's Note: So sorry for the wait! (is it just me, or do I start every A/N that way?) I really have to stop doing that 'three-week-cliffy' thing. Only three days left of school, so it won't be long before my other commitments settle down a bit. Anyway, I'm still here! By the way, as far as update frequency, reviews really do help a lot. They motivate me to get to work faster! That being said, thank you so much to all my lovely reviewers!

By the way, in case you're interested, I've just started beta-reading for the author Izayoi, so you should all go read her stuff and give her lots of reviews as well! So far I've only corrected one chapter (ch 5 of "Fallin") for her, but I'm looking forward to more.

Okay, review replies (I'm only doing a couple today, 'cause I'm dead tired):

Chibi Horsewoman: Actually I'm pretty sure the Geneva Conventions were before WWII, because they referred to it on _Hogan's Heroes_ all the time – but that's not exactly a reliable source, I suppose! Either way, who knows; seeing as it's Kouga we're talking about, he might just end up beating the crap out of Inu regardless of the law -- I honestly don't know at the moment! The characters have minds of their own about some of these things; even I can't always predict their actions, you know?

moonweaver: See? I'm updating! Yay! Oh, and yes, I'd love to have more material to edit, so definitely feel free to send it my way if you want.

Just to let you all know, I'm trying to figure out what new story to start next, what with summer beginning and (sniff) Alter Ego coming to a close, so I'll have a few summaries at the bottom of the chapter, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd give me your votes on which one(s) sound(s) best. Thanks! (And don't worry, I'm still planning to write A Noble Mind, for those of you who've read Fortune's Fool)

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 11: Femme Fatale

It was as if time had frozen. Kagome could do nothing but stare into the eyes of the man before her, which blazed green with malice. Her mind reeled; how long had he been there? How much had he heard? What excuse could she give? There had to be some way out of this...  
  
But those eyes told her otherwise. She could see clear as day within them that Kouga knew all that had transpired between her and Inuyasha just moments before, and there would be no escape from the web she had woven herself into this time.  
  
"Schmidt," Kouga said in a low growl, beckoning with a crisp movement of the hand to the guard who waited just outside the door, "Arrest this woman. She is a spy." With the last words the look in his eyes intensified, and she could see in them some reflection of the betrayal she had seen in Inuyasha's eyes when she had first come down to the cell.  
  
She swallowed, her mouth gone dry, but made no attempt at protest, only looked back over her shoulder to meet Inuyasha's gaze for what small comfort she could take in his presence. His amber eyes met hers helplessly, brow tensed in fear for her fate, yet he did not speak.  
  
The guard pulled her arms none too gently behind her back, and she winced slightly as the cold steel of the bindings closed tightly around her wrists. Once again she turned her eyes to the man whose bed she'd shared these past months and said quietly, but with a steady, grim determination, "Kouga, Inuyasha knew nothing of all of this until just now, I swear; I am the more valuable prisoner, by far."  
  
"Kagome, don't-" Inuyasha began, but the woman interrupted, continuing her plea.  
  
"Please, if ever you cared for me at all, if there is any sympathy in you toward either of us, let him go. He's of no use to you."  
  
Kouga gave a bitter half-laugh in response. "I'm afraid I disagree; he will prove very useful indeed, I'm sure. The brother of a General is a rare prize."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened slightly in surprise and she looked to Inuyasha for confirmation. The stunned look with which he was regarding Kouga was answer enough for her.  
  
"How do you know about Sesshomaru?" he demanded of the wolf-demon, his surprise getting the better of him.  
  
The Major answered him with a devious sort of smirk. "I have my sources; that's all you need to know." Then his expression hardened as he gestured to the guard. "Take her away."  
  
"No, Kagome!" Inuyasha said in a panicked tone of voice, starting after her as the man pulled her roughly by an arm, but he was prevented from leaving the cell by Kouga and the other guard, who stood at the doorway.   
  
"Inuyasha," she twisted back to look at him. "I'll be alright; don't worry about me." But her face was pale, and he could see the fear in her eyes, hear the slight tremor in her usually steady voice, belying her brave words.  
  
"Kagome," he said again, urgently. He struggled against the men's iron grip, watching helplessly as Kagome was led down the passageway and out of his sight.  
  
"Damn you Kouga!" he growled, turning furiously on the wolf-demon, who had a firm restraining grip on his right arm and shoulder, "Where are you taking her? What are you going to do to her?"  
  
"That is none of your concern, hanyou," he spat, and Inuyasha found himself shoved backwards to the floor inside the cell, the door clanging shut loudly, locking him in once more.  
  
He let loose a growl of rage and frustration as he pushed to his feet and flung himself against the door, pounding it with a fist. "Tell me where you're taking her, you son of a bitch!" he howled, "Tell me now! Dammit, Kouga, I know you can hear me!" But there was no answer save the echo of military boots against the stone-flagged floors as Kouga walked briskly away from the cell.  
  
Inuyasha slumped to the floor in defeat, leaning his back against the door, head in his hands. His breathing was ragged with strain, and he fought to quiet the ferocious anger that raged inside him. Yelling and screaming would get him nowhere, he knew, and they would likely only make it more difficult for him to calm himself, to think logically.  
  
But he couldn't ignore the guilt that welled up inside him. _She was caught because of me...She all but said so herself. Only because she had to explain her secret to me was her cover blown. If it hadn't been for me, she would still be safe.  
  
If anything happens to her...it's my fault..._  
  
And yet at the back of his brain there was something else, something that he wanted desperately to ignore, yet his subconscious mind couldn't seem to let go of the one other possibility: _Unless...it's a trap...a deception_  
  
But what would she have to gain by setting such a trap for him? he tried to reason. For what possible reason could it benefit them to make him believe, falsely, that she was on his side?  
  
_'The brother of a general is a rare prize...'  
  
No, _he thought fiercely,_ No; I believe her. I have to believe that she's telling the truth. She was genuinely surprised when she found out about my brother, and the look in her eyes as they led her away...no one could fake that.  
  
_-- -- --  
  
Soft, evening light filtered through the curtains of the small, wooden cabin, a gentle breeze toying at their edges and rustling the leaves of the trees like a whisper, though the couple inside took no notice. Miroku sat on the small bed, propped against the wall, as the woman he loved was seated on a chair beside him, tending to his wound.  
  
With gentle fingers, Sango carefully unwrapped the gauze from Miroku's head, barely wincing at all now at the sight of the still-healing tear in his flesh. Teiresias had instructed her over the past few days so that she could care for him herself, and she was becoming more and more accustomed to seeing the injury. Although she had never been particularly squeamish at the sight of cuts and scrapes, it was quite different to see such a large wound on the head of someone who meant so much to her. And besides, it always brought to mind that horrid scene at the clearing, less than a week past, when the ground and trees had been stained with his blood.  
  
She brushed aside the memory and concentrated instead on the task at hand. Taking the damp, herb-soaked rag from the bowl perched on the edge of the bed, she wrung it out and pressed it as gently as she could to the side of his head. Miroku flinched and drew a breath in a quick hiss at the sting of the contact, but soon relaxed into the warmth of the cloth and allowed Sango to continue her ministrations.  
  
"Does it hurt?" she asked with concern.  
  
"Mm-mm," he replied in the negative. "Actually," he said, opening his eyes to look into hers, "It feels quite nice once the stinging stops."  
  
She smiled warmly back at him. "I'm glad. It looks like it's healing pretty well. I'll have to ask Teiresias, but I think you should be able to travel within a few days; don't you?"  
  
"I don't see why not. I wonder what Kagome and Inuyasha are doing back at the cafe...all alone..." he added with a suggestive quirk of the eyebrow.  
  
Sango scowled, chiding, "Honestly, Miroku, even when you've been shot in the head that lecherous mind of yours is always running away with itself, isn't it?"   
  
Then a troubling thought occurred to her. "Miroku," she began worriedly, "You don't suppose anything could have happened to them on the way home, do you? I mean, considering what happened to you...and it would have been dark by the time they reached Asile..."  
  
"Of course they're alright," Miroku assured her. "Kagome's an intelligent woman, and from what I've seen, which, granted, is not much, Inuyasha could be quite formidable if he chose to be. They can take care of themselves."  
  
"I hope you're right."  
  
"Aren't I always?" he teased with a grin, and just as he'd hoped it brought the smile back to her face, wry as it was.  
  
"You're too smug for your own good, you know that?" she replied.  
  
"Am I really?" he asked playfully, pulling her chin forward to press his lips lightly to hers.  
  
It was then that the door to the cabin opened and in came Teiresias, toting a small bundle of the herbs he'd had to replenish so frequently these days, since Miroku was using up all his reserves. His face broke into a knowing grin at the sight of the young couple, who hardly took notice of him other than to glance his way and murmur a "Hi," before returning to each other.  
  
"Don't mind me," he assured them amusedly, well aware of the fact that they weren't listening to him at all, and made his way through the room to his study.  
  
As the door closed behind him, his smile faded, his expression taking on a much more serious, grim disposition. He placed the bundle on the desk and began fishing through the various types of foliage within it to uncover the true cargo: a small, white envelope.  
  
Pulling a note from within it, he recognized the code immediately, and was able to flip right to the spot in _The Iliad_ where the key could be found. Translated, it read:  
  
_Teiresias,  
  
Very well, we will allow you no more than three weeks. But if you are unsuccessful in extracting the name of their contact within that time, we will take over. Keep them under careful supervision, my friend; if anything should happen to them -- if they should be allowed to escape -- the consequences for you will be very grave indeed. They are our only lead, and they must not be allowed to fall into the hands of the military. It is of the utmost importance that this matter be kept under Gestapo jurisdiction and control.  
  
Heil Hitler_  
  
He settled back in his chair and regarded the finished translation silently, reading it over once again before crumpling the paper into a ball and releasing a weary sigh.  
  
-- -- --  
  
It had been two days since they'd taken her away. Two days he'd spent in this hellhole, with virtually no human contact whatsoever. Even the food, which was no more than the barest prisoner's rations, was simply placed inside the door, before they slammed it shut once more. Hell, come to that, he wasn't even positive it _had_ been two days -- might have been three or four. There was no reliable way of telling time in this dank, musty cage of his. He hadn't even seen the sun.  
  
Inuyasha used a claw to scrape away at the stone of the wall beside his bed, carving a picture of his plane -- well, before he had crashed it, and it had fallen into enemy hands to be gutted and analyzed for the Luftwaffe, that is -- into the solid grey rock face. This being his only pastime down here, he had become quite adept at it, once he had given up on yelling for that mangy wolf to get his scrawny ass back here and give him some answers, which the hanyou had done intermittently for about the first day. Even Inuyasha's voice got tired eventually, and he knew they most likely couldn't hear him anyway -- not that anyone would have responded if they could.  
  
So, in lieu of any further options, Inuyasha had resolved to bide his time, just as Kouga seemed to be biding his. Someone would have to question him eventually, if they wanted to get any info on Sesshomaru -- not that Inuyasha had any great secrets to give, as far as he knew -- and when they did, he would get his own answers if he had to rip that wolf's tonsils out to do it.  
  
In the meantime, he was brushing up on his artistic skills.  
  
He sat back a bit to admire his work. It was really quite good, for an amateur, working in dim lighting, with only his own clawed hands for carving tools. He'd even managed a bit of shading along the wings and tail by making little hatch marks.  
  
Gods, he missed flying. Not so much the 'being-shot-at' part, but the flying itself. Perhaps it had something to do with being trapped in a cold, dark room for days on end, but lately he'd begun to long for the feel of the controls at his fingertips, soaring across the clear blue sky at unimaginable speeds and then, with only a slight adjustment, the heady rush of a steep dive, plummeting toward the earth before pulling up just in time.  
  
He absolutely loved being a pilot; it was the only thing he'd ever wanted to do. To his mind, it was the perfect marriage of danger and control. To fly was to be able to defy gravity, to see and experience things about which most humans could only dream. To fly was to be able to conquer the wind, to command it to take you where you wished to go; it was the only true freedom.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the lock being pulled back on the door. It wasn't time for food yet -- was it? Then who...?  
  
His breath caught for a moment in surprise as a familiar pair of brown eyes met his own. _Kagome? How did she-_  
  
But no, these eyes were different, colder, and when the woman in question emerged fully into the room Inuyasha no longer had any doubts as to her identity. His jaw tensed, eyes narrowing in recognition as he regarded the slim figure, dressed in a sleek, dark skirt suit with stylish black heels to match; coordinated as ever.  
  
"Hello Inuyasha," Kikyo said in a deceptively amiable voice that nonetheless possessed a certain ominous sense of malice, woven beneath the surface.  
  
"Kikyo," Inuyasha acknowledged, though his voice was scarcely more than a controlled growl.  
  
This brought a slight smirk to the woman's lips. "I see you remember me."  
  
"How could I forget?" he retorted, careful to restrain himself.  
  
"Yes, I suppose it would have been pretty memorable -- for you, at least." He growled at that, and she raised an eyebrow in offhand consideration. "But then, I suppose it did have its perks; more than most."  
  
Inuyasha frowned slightly in confusion, crossing his arms and cocking his head a bit to the side. "What do you mean by that?" he questioned suspiciously.  
  
"Just what I said. You were better than most of them, Inuyasha, and certainly more entertaining than any. Of all the men I've given 'the Treatment,' you were the first to ever actually fall in love with me," she said amusedly, then added in an almost wistful tone, "It was fun to play a true ingénue for a change, instead of just playing the whore."  
  
"The 'Treatment'?" he asked, his ire rising.  
  
She gave a small, patronizing laugh at his apparent indignation, before saying matter-of-factly, "Yes, you know, wining and dining, sex et cetera -- I give you what you want, you become my source, albeit unknowingly. Seriously, Inuyasha, don't tell me you hadn't figured it out by now?"  
  
That was when everything she was saying finally began to fall into place. "Your...source?" he murmured in surprise. A bemused expression settled on his face as his mind raced with memories of conversations with Kikyo, the pattern coming clear at last. Somehow, without his realizing it, she had managed to get information from him, gradually, over time. Each individual piece was so small and so subtle that he had thought nothing of it at the time, but over the course of their relationship there was no telling how much she could have learned. "Then...none of it was true in the first place. All along, you were one of...one of _them_. You conned me..." he said at last, looking up into the shrewd, self-satisfied face of the woman he'd once claimed to know. But this woman was a stranger to him, all traces of the facade gone from sight.  
  
The bemused expression faded as astonishment melted into a boiling resentment, his brow lowering angrily over furious eyes. "You're a remarkable actress," he growled vindictively, standing to face her.  
  
She smirked in response and replied mockingly, bating him, "Almost as remarkable as that Kagome of yours, don't you think?"  
  
"Leave Kagome out of this, you manipulative bitch. What has she got to do with it anyway?"  
  
That was just the answer she'd been hoping for. "I'm hurt, Inuyasha," she drawled. "After all, all's fair in love and war, is it not? And as for Kagome, well, lets just say the two of us aren't all that different after all, are we?"  
  
"That's where you're wrong, Kikyo; Kagome is nothing like you." The contempt in his voice only served her purposes that much more.  
  
"Is that so? Did she not seduce a man shamelessly in order to bend him to her will and extract information from him, without a care for his personal feelings for her? I did no more than that to you, Inuyasha."  
  
"But unlike you, Kikyo, Kagome did what she did because she had to, not because she gets some sort of sick, twisted pleasure out of it! She's fighting for a cause she believes in-"  
  
"As am I," she said firmly, causing him to fall silent. "And for the other, are you so certain of her motives as that? Are you so certain of mine? She has already proven to be something other than what she appears to be; you would do well in the future to remember that she is quite capable of deceiving you, even as I did."  
  
To that, Inuyasha could conjure no reply but continued silence.  
  
"Well," said Kikyo, mock lightness in her tone, "it's been wonderful catching up like this, Inuyasha. We simply must do it again some time." With a final, sarcastic smirk, she turned and exited the cell, leaving the hanyou alone to ponder the wisdom of her words in solitude.  
  
He slumped down upon his cot once more, leaning back against the cool stone wall with his eyes closed, one hand massaging his troubled forehead. _I trust Kagome, _he thought. _But then, I once trusted Kikyo as well, and look how well that one turned out._  
  
_'I didn't lie to you, Inuyasha, and I never intended for this to happen, I swear. I do care for you, honestly...' _He could hear the emotion in Kagome's voice as she pleaded with him, willing him to believe her. He wanted so to be able to trust her completely, but the practical corner of his mind refused to allow him to ignore the fact that Kikyo had a point.  
  
_'...she is quite capable of deceiving you, even as I did.'_  
  
-- -- --

A/N: Well, at least this one's not a horrible cliffy this time…is it? Well it shouldn't take me so long to update anyway (I hope).

Alright, here are the summaries, as promised:

The Best Man: AU -- Romance/Humor. Amidst preparations for Kagome's wedding, Sango, her Maid of Honor, is overjoyed when Inuyasha's brother Sesshomaru finally proposes to her. Only afterwards does Sango first encounter Miroku, who just so happens to be Inuyasha's best man, and things begin to get…complicated.  
  
Father's House, Husband's House: AU -- Romance/Humor. Kagome, daughter of a wealthy and prominent businessman, finds herself engaged to Hojo, her longtime boyfriend and the heir to another large fortune. Feeling smothered, she escapes to see the world before being railroaded into a life as no more than her husband's wife. The real world is not quite what she expected, however, least of all a certain penniless, but streetwise hanyou with whom she makes acquaintance…  
  
Type Casting: AU -- Romance/Humor. Kagome is making her directorial debut on London's West End with a somewhat non-traditional production of Romeo and Juliet, and despite her better judgment she casts the arrogant Inuyasha Takahashi opposite Sango Kuonji in the lead roles. There is definite friction between the young director and her leading man, but will the fire between them serve to keep them warm, or simply burn down the house?

Far From Home: AU – Romance/Humor. In Ancient Greece, Kagome and Inuyasha, separated by war, wish only to be together once again. Unfortunately for them, fate seems to have made other plans, and Inuyasha gets slightly sidetracked…(based on _The Odyssey_)

Okay, opinions please -- every vote counts!

Until next time, TTFN!


	12. Dire Prospects

Author's Note: Well, sorry for the month-long gap in updates – Alter Ego ended up being longer than I anticipated when I decided to finish that one first (it still has an epilogue coming though). Anyway, I'm back, and this chappie is a longish one to make up for the wait (--grin--). It's a little…dark, I guess (at least in comparison to what I've been writing lately) but it's nice to flex those muscles for a change. But I'll let you read it and decide for yourselves!

By the way, I've just started writing Father's House, Husband's House (the winner in the poll I took last chapter) and I'll be posting the next chapter of that this week, along with the epilogue to AE (hopefully). Read it please! The plot seems to be forming nicely in my mind, so I think it'll turn out well.

Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed – I love you guys! They really do help me immensely.

Chibi Horsewoman: You said (in an AE review) the Geneva Convention didn't come into use until the 50s, right? That's good to know; it'd be bad if I mentioned it before it was even conceived – then again _Hogan's Heroes_ did it…shame on them…(--scowls--)

BlueEyedKorean: Thanks! No one wishes more than I that this story would receive 500 reviews…I like it too! (--shrugs--) Oh well…

akina kumi-tami: (--bites lip--) umm…he he…hope you didn't explode…I kinda took too long, didn't I? Oops…

Fallen-Snow: Kay, a bit belated, but still – Sango kissing Miroku in front of Teiresias isn't so strange (I figure) because she's not trying to pretend she hates him anymore; they've moved past that stage. And in answer to your question about Type Casting, yep, Kag is the director and Inu and Sang play Romeo and Juliet (but it's not an Inu/Sang pairing or anything – I just wanted to break the old 'Kag plays Juliet' cliché and try something a bit different). And finally, in response to your comment about FHHH, all I can say is…(--grin--). Oh yeah, and I emailed you to give you my second email address (cause you said in an AE review that you were having trouble getting through), but in case you didn't get it (I hate aol – it's very fickle…), check my bio, because I have both email addresses up there now. Anyway, let me know if you're still having problems. (--sigh-- _soooo tired…_)

Myriadragon: Glad you like it! My estimate at this point (chapter-wise) is about twenty total, but it's hard to tell until I get closer.

tHe-aRisTocRatiC-aSSaSSiN: You're right – It's just that I've gotten so used to reading those suffixes and words (like -kun and –san and hentai, etc.) that they're practically part of my vocabulary when I write this stuff. (--shrugs--) Oops…

Hye-Min: (--grin--) Thanks for the encouragement…didn't take me too much longer did it? A week or so?

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 12: Dire Prospects

In a second-story room of the villa -- the library -- Kikyo sat in the velvet-cushioned window seat, gazing out across the gloomy, overcast courtyard, the pavement damp with the rain that had ceased to fall not long before. She was settled sideways, with her back resting against the wall of the tiny alcove and her ankles crossed elegantly to the side. Her expression was neutral as ever, brown eyes dark and haunted, unfocused as though deep in thought.  
  
Behind the eyes that held such depth and yet were so impassive and enigmatic -- an asset, when it became necessary to hide her true feelings and intent -- her soul pondered once again the ties that bound her to Naraku. She was not held against her will -- far from it -- nor was she indebted to him in any earthly manner. No, this bond ran deeper than any of those could ever aspire to. She loved him; not in the simple, superficial way of flighty teenagers or even with the earth-shaking melodrama of a Shakespearian heroine, but rather with something akin to the utter devotion of a disciple to God. Long ago he had captivated her with his words, though they were few, and she had known once and for all that, regardless of whether her feelings could ever be returned, she had no choice but to pledge her life to his purposes, whatever that might entail. And she had, to this day, not one single regret.  
  
She was not, nor had she ever been, a weak person, though her willingness to follow wherever this man might lead her, even unto disaster, would cause her to seem so to some. How could they possibly be expected to understand? This was _her_ choice, and no one else's. She did as Naraku bade without thought for herself, because she had _chosen_ to do so. She could choose no other.  
  
Kikyo had never been a religious woman, in the traditional sense. She felt not the presence of any Supreme Being to look toward, pray toward, and without such inner faith, piety was nothing but a lie. Naraku was her religion. His presence she felt, not only in the physical sense, but spiritually, within her soul. She believed in him for reasons that were impossible to accurately describe in words, yet they seemed to her more real than anything on this earth.  
  
There was a creak of floorboards outside the door to the room, and Kikyo drew in a deep breath as she roused from her musings, noticing at last that the rain had started up again. She heard the door open behind her and the slow, sure steps of her love crossing the room.  
  
"What are you thinking about, My Kikyo," he said softly, his low voice brushing the air like dark velvet. She closed her eyes and savored it with a slight smile; how she loved his voice.  
  
"You," she replied simply, all but seeing his slow, satisfied smirk, though she did not turn to face him.  
  
He extended a hand from just behind her to brush her cheek, and she leaned into the caress subtly. "It is time," he murmured, so quietly it would have been lost to the sound of the rain had he not had the ability to capture her with no more than a whisper.  
  
"I know," she answered.  
  
-- -- --  
  
Inuyasha was roused from a light slumber by the sharp clang of metal and a bright light in his eyes.  
  
"Los hoch, du dreckiger Yankee!" a rough, unpleasant voice commanded sharply, hands prodding the hanyou none too gently, forcing him to rise as he squinted and shielded his eyes from the light. "Na wirds bald! Beweg dich!"  
  
Inuyasha stumbled slightly as he was shoved into the hallway and hustled along, followed by the ever-present voice of the soldier urging him on. "Na wirds bald, du häßliche Ami-Sau!"  
  
Finally, after many twists and turns through the labyrinthine passages, they reached a door, and the soldier commanded him to stop, grabbing his arm and shoving him inside to stumble against a bleak metal table, sitting beneath a single hanging light bulb, a chair on either side -- the only furniture occupying the dank, cold little room. Inuyasha barely registered the clang of the door behind him as he observed the room warily, the bare bulb suspended above him casting ominous shadows across the dingy, grey, rust-stained walls. There could only be one use for such a room -- interrogation.  
  
The hanyou's jaw tightened and he swallowed thickly. Suddenly, the idea of being interrogated didn't seem nearly as innocuous as it had when he'd thought about it in the abstract. Horror stories, ones he'd dismissed as rumor and speculation, about the Nazis and their torture methods -- testing poisons on live human specimens, gas chambers, other things he preferred not to think about -- chased each other about in his mind. No longer did they seem so farfetched as they had when he was in the relative safety of an air force barracks or the servicemen's tavern at the base.  
  
"Get a grip on yourself," he intoned through clenched teeth, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm his nerves. He couldn't afford to turn into a basket case before anything even happened. Besides, they weren't likely to use such extreme methods on him if they wanted information on Sesshomaru. If he was so important to them, they couldn't afford to risk his death.  
  
He had to focus on his own goals instead -- on finding Kagome. Yes, he had to find out where they were holding Kagome and what they had done to her.  
  
Just then his ears perked at the sound of an opening door, and he raised his head to see Kouga enter the room through a second door, opposite the one he himself had come through. Inuyasha tensed and straightened slowly, golden eyes narrowed maliciously upon the hated face of the officer, who took no notice of the hostility being directed at him as he seated himself at the table, across from where Inuyasha stood. Kouga met the hanyou's eyes with his emerald ones, filled with cold contempt, and indicated calmly, almost casually, that Inuyasha should sit. The silver-haired man complied stiffly, refusing to back down from the stony gaze.  
  
"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded lowly, but Kouga only smiled.  
  
"That is no concern of yours at this point in time, hanyou. Let me make a few things clear to you: As of now, you are at our mercy. You have no rights whatsoever, and you will answer all of our questions truthfully and completely. Now this can be done either of your own volition or, if necessary, with the help of certain...persuasive devices. If you do not wish to experience these devices first hand, I suggest that you answer willingly. Is that understood?"  
  
Inuyasha made no reply. _He's bluffing, trying to distract you -- don't back down. Find Kagome..._  
  
"Good," Kouga said, smirking thinly at his silence, which he took for acquiescence. "Inuyasha, what do you know about the Doomsday operation?"  
  
"I'm not telling you anything until you tell me where to find Kagome, you son of a bitch," he spat.  
  
There was a pause, during which both parties regarded each other, eyes locked in a battle of wills.  
  
"I told you, she is not your concern. Now tell me what you know."  
  
"Never." Truth be told, he had no idea what the fuck Kouga was talking about -- he'd never exactly been privy to his brother's secret operations. But the so-called information was his only bargaining chip at this point, and he was determined to use it to his full advantage.  
  
A note of frustration seeped into the wolf demon's voice at his prisoner's defiance as he rose to his feet. "You aren't making this easier for yourself," he growled.  
  
"Tell me where she is."  
  
Inuyasha's head snapped to the side as Kouga's fist connected with it, and the hanyou jumped up to face the demon with a growl, knocking over his chair and shoving aside the table in his anger. "Tell me where she is!" he demanded again, only to have the Nazi grab him roughly by the front of his shirt and slam him to the nearest wall.  
  
"_You_ do not ask the questions here," Kouga growled dangerously as Inuyasha strained and clawed at his grip. "You _will_ tell me what you know! Immediately!"  
  
"Go to hell!"  
  
At that the hanyou was thrown headfirst to crash into the table and collapse to the ground, nursing a cut on his forehead. Before he could even begin to rise, Kouga delivered a swift kick to his midsection, causing him to crumple up in pain. His whole body shook with anger, teeth clenched as he drew breaths through them grunting at the pain in his abdomen.  
  
"Tell me what you know," the wolf said calmly, standing above him.  
  
"Fuck you," he growled and hurled himself up from the ground to go crashing into the other man. He threw punches, fueled as much by revenge and frustration as by the need to overpower Kouga. But the other was a full demon -- as opposed to a half -- and easily a match for him, blocking and throwing as many punches as Inuyasha. Vaguely, the hanyou wondered why Kouga didn't call for his goons to restrain him so he could beat the crap out of him without allowing Inuyasha the ability to fight back, but he wasn't about to question something that worked in his favor.  
  
Finally a swift palm to Inuyasha's jaw and another knee to his ribcage sent him to the floor, unable to rise. That was when the door through which Kouga had entered opened once more, and in swept a tall, gaunt figure with cold red eyes -- the General that he had seen arriving that day in the street. It seemed like years ago, yet it was only a matter of weeks. And who should follow him in but Kikyo, of course.  
  
"That's enough, Kouga," the man said, his voice like the hand of death closing around Inuyasha's throat. He seemed to radiate evil from every pore of his existence, and made Kouga seem no more significant than a single head on a Hydra -- useful, yet easily replaced when severed. "You've had your fun. Now we must get down to business."  
  
-- -- --  
  
Sango bustled about the cabin, tidying things up. It was the least she could do to thank Teiresias for his hospitality, and she had nothing else to do at the moment since Miroku was currently napping in the next room.  
  
The office was particularly messy, strewn about with books and papers, most of them appearing to be snatches of stories copied over and rearranged in strange ways. The man had some odd hobbies, that was for sure. She was reluctant to throw anything away, in case it was something he wanted, but she thought at the very least she could straighten up. Next to the wastebasket, however, she found a crumpled piece of paper that looked as if he had meant to throw it away, but missed. She hesitated a moment, about to throw it away herself, but curiosity got the better of her and she decided to take a peak at it instead. What she saw had the blood draining from her face in a matter of seconds.  
  
_Teiresias,  
  
Very well, we will allow you no more than three weeks. But if you are unsuccessful in extracting the name of their contact within that time, we will take over. Keep them under careful supervision, my friend; if anything should happen to them -- if they should be allowed to escape -- the consequences for you will be very grave indeed. They are our only lead, and they must not be allowed to fall into the hands of the military. It is of the utmost importance that this matter be kept under Gestapo jurisdiction and control.  
  
Heil Hitler  
  
_ Her throat tightened, eyes widening in fear. "Oh my god..." she whispered, before clamoring to her feet and slipping into the next room as quickly and silently as she could, in case Teiresias was somewhere nearby.  
  
"Miroku," she whispered urgently, and he blinked awake frowning dazedly at her pale complexion.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" he mumbled in concern, and she shoved the wrinkled paper in font of his face for him to read. Understanding dawned in his expression. Now fully awake and moving to stand, he said gravely, "We have to get out of here -- now."  
  
"Not so fast," came a steady voice from behind them, and the pair of them whirled to face it, staring wide-eyed at the bearded old man in the doorway, every trace of kindness and joviality gone from his lined face, a pistol held steadily in his right hand and pointed directly at them.  
  
-- -- --  
  
Inuyasha's breathing was labored, his head pounding and fuzzy as he fought to keep his wits about him. He was slumped, utterly helpless in one of the cold metal chairs before the table in that small, cold room. For hours on end he'd remained there, asked the same question repeatedly, time and time again, and every time his answer was the same. He refused to give in.  
  
Kouga had beaten him some more, this time with the aid of soldiers to restrain him, the purpose being to weaken him. He knew now that that brief squabble with the wolf demon had been nothing but a warm up, a little bout purely for Kouga's recreation. He'd been allowed to fight back because the fucking wolf wanted a little competition, just for fun, and Naraku had indulged him.  
  
Even a hanyou was no match for a full youkai in such slanted conditions. He didn't have a prayer, but that didn't mean he was about to give up -- not by a long shot.  
  
Wrestling with his traitorous body, willing it to stave off unconsciousness at all costs, he squinted against the light, struggling to clear his blurred vision. Through the muddled mix of light and shadows came that voice once more, the voice he had come to loathe with a passion like no other.  
  
"Tell me what you know, Inuyasha. Tell me about Doomsday." Naraku's voice was a noose fashioned of fine black velvet, curling around the silver-haired hanyou's throat as if just itching to strangle him to death, yet Inuyasha somehow found the strength to snarl back at him defiantly, "I'll tell you nothing."  
  
There was a tired sigh, and at long last Naraku said lowly, "Very well, I have given you every opportunity to comply willingly. I see I shall have to resort to something a bit more troublesome. Doctor, if you would please?"  
  
There were sounds of shuffling and something being placed on the table, a few items of some sort taken out of it and set beside it. Inuyasha felt a hand on his arm, and someone seemed to be performing some sort of ministration near his inner elbow. He winced at the sharp prick of a needle piercing his skin, and a feeling of dread settled in his stomach through the haze of pain.   
  
"I assume you're familiar with the substance cyanide?" the Nazi said slowly, the hint of a smirk audible in his tone. Inuyasha's jaw clenched in response, the gnawing feeling in is stomach increasing at the words.  
  
"Yes, of course you are. The substance we have just injected into your bloodstream is an extract of that particular poison, combined with a stimulant. You'll notice within minutes that your strength is returning, to some degree, and your vision will clear. That way you will be fully aware when the poison begins to take effect.  
  
"First comes the headache, the vertigo, dizziness, confusion. Then, ever so gradually, you'll feel yourself begin to weaken, your skin becoming cold and clammy, and you'll experience convulsions and an erratic pulse as your cardiovascular system slowly shuts down. Because it is diluted the effects of the poison will be slow and all the more painful, but make no mistake -- you will die eventually, after hours, perhaps even days of agony. There is an antidote, however, which I would be more than happy to administer...if you would be so kind as to answer a few, very simple, little questions."  
  
True to the man's words, Inuyasha's amber eyes had come back into focus, and he fixed them upon Naraku with such utter hatred as he never felt before in his life. The Nazi met his gaze levelly, the barest hint of a smirk turning the corners of his mouth -- Inuyasha was beaten, and they both knew it. The game had been called, and all that was left for him to do was give up or give in.   
  
Reluctantly, Inuyasha said in a low voice, "If I tell you all that I know...will you release her?"  
  
"You don't give up easily, do you?" the man replied, darkly amused. "I'll make you a deal: you give me what information you possess, and I will tell you where she is -- not that it will do you the slightest bit of good."  
  
"And the antidote?"  
  
"The antidote as well," Naraku assured him, "Now tell me what you know."  
  
Here came the hard part -- Inuyasha didn't _have_ any information. Then again...hadn't Sesshomaru once mentioned something about an invasion...?  
  
"It's an invasion," he invented gravely, contriving to sound as if the information was being ripped from his very soul -- which wasn't far from the truth, considering the shooting pains he was beginning to feel in his abdomen and the growing headache and...dizziness. Apparently Naraku hadn't been bluffing about that poison. "It's been in the planning stages for months. I remember my brother mentioning something about Calais..."  
  
-- -- --  
  
"Give me the letter," Teiresias commanded severely, approaching the pair with slow, measured steps. Miroku moved instinctively in front of Sango to shield her, hands outstretched with palms up, as though to assure the other man that he had no weapons in his possession. The old man snatched the letter from Miroku's hand and motioned with the barrel of the pistol for them to move to the other side of the room, next to the table.  
  
"What do you want from us?" Sango asked steadily, her right hand fisted in the back of Miroku's shirt as her left clutched his arm for support.  
  
"I think that is quite obvious at this point," he replied. "It's just a pity that you had to discover it this way. I was hoping to be able to complete my task with as little difficulty as possible, but this will complicate things."  
  
"Don't hurt Sango -- she doesn't know who the contact is. I'm the only one she's been in contact with from the underground-"  
  
"Miroku!" the woman hissed, glaring at him fearfully over his shoulder.  
  
"He already knows, Sango," the man argued back grimly. "It won't do us any good to go on pretending now."  
  
"But I'm not leaving without you, I don't care what either of you says. I won't lose you again."  
  
"You have to go," the brown-haired man insisted, "I'll be alright."  
  
"No-!"  
  
"I'm afraid the point is moot, anyway," Teiresias interrupted, "I can't allow either of you to leave, information or no."  
  
Sango's hand tightened on Miroku's sleeve at the words, and her right hand slipped almost unconsciously to link fingers with his. Silently however, she was judging the distance across the floor to the older man, and when she had formulated a plan she whispered in Miroku's ear a single word: "Now."  
  
In an instant Miroku had ducked to the side, allowing Sango to use his shoulder as leverage to propel herself across the short distance to Teiresias, kicking the weapon from the stunned man's grip before he had a chance to fire. It skittered across the floor and Sango delivered a swift elbow to the older man's gut to impair his movements before joining Miroku in a mad dash out the door and into the underbrush.  
  
It wasn't long before a shot rang out behind them -- Teiresias had apparently recovered his weapon and was giving chase, but the couple hurtled through the woods at breakneck speed without so much as a backward glance, ducking their heads whenever a shot hit just a little too close for comfort. Miroku grabbed hold of Sango's hand to assure himself that she was keeping up, pulling her alongside him as they both gasped for breath, swiping aside low-hanging branches with reckless abandon.  
  
Finally the gunfire ceased, the older man's strength and stamina for the chase having given out, and the couple collapsed into a panting heap on the forest floor, at the foot of a large, sturdy tree. Sango lay on her side, clutching at the stitch in her side with her cheek pressed into the dirt, and Miroku knelt on all-fours beside her, eyes closed as he tried to get control of his breathing.  
  
"Are you alright?" she questioned worriedly, rolling to her back and lifting a hand to his bandaged forehead, and he nodded silently back at her before placing a hand to her cheek. "Are you?" he returned, and she nodded as well. "You were spectacular," he commented with a small, fond smile.  
  
She smiled back warmly. "Couldn't have done it without you." At that he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers sweetly, relief and appreciation flooding through him.  
  
-- -- --  
  
A thin trail of smoke drifted upward from Naraku's lips as Inuyasha fell silent, having answered all the questions posed to him without hesitation. "You've been very helpful," he said at last, rising as though to leave the room.  
  
"Where is she?" Inuyasha growled after him, standing despite the growing throb in his skull and the pains in his stomach. "You said you would tell me where she is -- now tell me."  
  
A smirk of devilish amusement quirked the man's lips as he replied with a hint of irony, "Never let it be said that such a man as I would sink so low as to have deceived you. She has been interrogated as well, but it appears she possessed no useful information -- none so valuable as that which you yourself have provided. Most of the secrets she possessed were ours, waiting to be passed on to the allies."  
  
"Where is she now?" Inuyasha demanded.  
  
"She is in a holding cell -- awaiting her execution."  
  
-- -- --

A/N: Okay, this time I _really_ will make an effort not to take so long. Please review, though, because that makes it a lot easier for me to devote attention to this fic. Thanks so much!

A special thanks to Kit for the German translation. I mixed and matched a bit from what she gave me, so hopefully it all works. In case you're wondering, here's roughly what it means in English (my apologies if I screw it up…):

_ "Get up, you dirty Yankee-bitch!"_

_ "Quickly! Get moving!"_

_ "Quickly, you ugly Ami-bitch!"_

According to Kit, Ami is an offensive German term for 'American' (though it may not actually have been used in WWII, but I used it anyway for variety), and Sau is the rough equivalent of the English word 'bitch.' Thanks again Kit!


	13. Flights of Angels

Author's Note: Okay, I know I've been a _little_ slow lately, but look on the bright side – at least it didn't take a month! (lol) Even in the summertime it seems that life just can't resist throwing up roadblocks (the list of which I won't bore you with at this time – big cheer all around!).

Anyway, it's late so I'll try to keep this note brief – I have to get up tomorrow morning for a recording session, which means that as of now I have about…(let's see, carry the one, add 3 million, then divide by…yep, that's it)…five and a half hours to sleep – assuming I fall asleep this instant, which is not going to happen (--grin--).

HMPrune: lol – I never thought of it that way! (--imitates corny announcer's voice--) _Tune in next week for more adventures on…Missing in Action!_ (--grin--)

Chibi Horsewoman: Of course, the whole 'name, rank, and serial number' thing…I've heard it in movies and on TV, but I completely forgot about it (he-he…oops --grin--). But like you said, I have no idea if it was in effect at the time (could it even have been part of the Geneva Convention maybe?). Then again, Inuyasha isn't exactly your average GI, so who knows if he would even have paid attention to it in the first place. (--shrugs--) I dunno…

Kaoru Mitsumi: I _love_ chocolate! Can I have some?! (--grin--)

Fallen-Snow: First off, just to let you know in case I haven't already, I did get your email and it's saved on my desktop just waiting for me to get a chance to reply to it (which I'm looking forward to – is there anything better than a literary debate? I love the smell of semantics in the morning…lol – can you tell I'm sleep deprived? Ignore me --grin--). Second, glad you like my Kikyo – I have the most fun writing her in this one! She's exactly the sort of character (here) that I _love_ to play (I've probably said that before, but I don't care) – all cool and collected and focused, yet with a darkness to her nature that makes her just that much more mysterious and elusive. She's not a woman to be loved, but worshipped. (I'm rambling again…) Third, I know exactly what you mean about being 'graphical' – it's just good sense to go for the most vulnerable spot (--grin--). Though I think women are more likely to stoop to that 'technique' because we can't sympathize with that particular pain -- you know? (--shrugs--) That's my theory anyway -- guys never seem to use it (in movies and stuff I mean)! Finally, the 'it's time' thing between Naraku and Kikyo was just him telling her to come downstairs for the interrogation. Whew! TTFN!

Crystal Music: A writing camp? Awesome! Oh, and glad you appreciated the comparison of Naraku's voice to velvet – I liked that one myself (--grin--). And I see what you mean about the Mir/San stuff coming off as a side note – I guess I was just so focused on Inu's plight that I didn't pay their part as much attention as I probably should have. I'd intended it as a sort of point-counterpoint relationship, but I think I lost sight of that idea somewhere along the way. Oh well…

tk293: Seriously? Cool…I'll have to remember to give Kikyo and Naraku more airtime then…

Izayoi: (--grin--) Glad you like it! Love ya!

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 13: Flights of Angels

Inuyasha's eyes took on a hollow look, his mouth gone dry as the word 'execution' seemed to echo in his gradually dizzying mind -- the poison's effect was increasing, but not to the point of obscuring the weight of this most recent revelation. Indeed it brought it that much more into focus.  
  
"Where is the antidote?" he questioned Naraku's retreating back in a growl, and the man paused, glancing toward Kikyo, who had remained so silent throughout the proceedings that Inuyasha had all but forgotten she was there. She nodded, apparently understanding his silent instructions, and the General turned back to answer his prisoner.  
  
"It will be administered to you upon your safe return to your cell. Pleasant dreams, Inuyasha," he finished smirkingly and disappeared from the room, though the silver-haired hanyou stood abruptly, fury in his eyes, clearly intent on following him. But a wave of dizziness, accompanied by a particularly sharp knife of pain in his abdomen prevented him from going any further with his ambitions, and he was soon being hustled back into the corridor by a pair of soldiers who had appeared beside him, led by Kikyo who was toting a small black bag.  
  
The hanyou stumbled several times, his balance thrown off by the substance coursing through his veins, blinking and gritting his teeth in an effort to stave of the agonizing headache building between his ears. He had to get out of this somehow -- he had to find Kagome, to save her. _If anything happens to her, it's my fault. It was my fault she was caught in the first place._ But he would be useless to her in such a state. If only he had the-  
  
All at once, his eyes focused on the little black bag clutched in Kikyo's left hand. _Of course -- it must contain the antidote!_ But how might he go about laying hands on it before they reached his cell...  
  
Planning never having been his strong suit -- especially when he had fifty 'cc's of cyanide in his bloodstream -- Inuyasha went with his instincts instead. Loosening his muscles slightly to give the impression that he was weakening ever more quickly, thereby tempting the soldiers on each arm to lower their guard, he suddenly summoned every bit of strength and speed he had left to slip his arms from their grasp, crouch slightly and pull his elbows back with force, eliciting whimpers of pain from the pair of men as they doubled over. He wasted no time in kicking each in the head to knock them unconscious just as Kikyo turned back to see what the commotion was all about. But by then the hanyou had retrieved the guards' pistols from their holsters, and trained them both on the woman before him, amber eyes dark with menace, his jaw clenched and breathing uneven, body shaking slightly with the intense pain he was experiencing -- but he held it at bay, determined to complete his mission. "Give it to me," he growled dangerously, "or I _will_ kill you."  
  
"Kill me then," she replied in a devilishly confident voice just barely above a whisper, and yet so silky smooth and calm that he could hear it as if it had simply appeared in his mind without her actually uttering the words. For a moment they merely stood there in a deadlock, unmoving, observing each other for any signs of capitulation. Finally Kikyo said in that same soft voice, her eyes like black mirrors in the low light, watching him yet revealing nothing from within, "You'll never find her. She's as good as dead right now."  
  
Inuyasha growled and lunged at her, securing his left-hand pistol in the back waistband of his cargo pants, using the now free hand to snatch the bag from her grip vehemently, yet all she did was smirk slightly as he glared at her, inches from her face.  
  
"I knew you couldn't do it," she said with a subtle yet biting contempt. They both knew he couldn't bring himself to hurt her, but likewise there was nothing she could do to stop him from escaping...yet.  
  
He turned to leave, but her voice stopped him in his tracks. "This place is a labyrinth, Inuyasha. At this rate, neither one of you will make it out alive; it's hopeless."  
  
"Not for me," he growled without looking back, and took of at a slow run, the most he could manage for the time being. He took the first turn he could find, then several more, intent on getting as far away from the route they'd been taking as he could -- the more lost he was, the longer it would take for the soldiers to find him, once Kikyo got word of his escape back to Naraku.  
  
Finding himself in a particularly shadowy corridor and quickly running out of breath and strength -- for his recent activity could only be speeding up the poison's spread -- he collapsed against the wall, falling to his knees with the bag before him. His ears strained for sounds of trouble as he ripped open the container and began to dig through it fervently. Most of the equipment within -- bottles of substances with complicated names and various instruments for combining and administering them, so it seemed -- was utterly unrecognizable to him, and he began to panic, wondering what horrible effects the alien compounds might have should he choose the wrong one.  
  
But then, much to his relief, he discovered a syringe that was already prepared and labeled 'Sodium thiosulfate.' All his high school chemistry could tell him was that it apparently contained sodium and sulfur -- no, sulf_ate_, because sulfate was an ion, and sulfur would have made the compound's name Sodium thiosulf_ide _-- but that made no difference, because he didn't have the slightest idea what it was supposed to do anyway.  
  
He eyed the syringe dubiously, glancing from it, back the way he had come, and back to it again, considering. Finally he took a deep breath and muttered apprehensively, "Here goes nothing," as he plunged the needle into his vein with a wince and drained the liquid from the tube. That done, he removed the needle and tossed it to the floor closing his eyes and clenching his fist, pulling his arm tightly to his chest and praying that he had made the right choice.  
  
The moments ticked by and Inuyasha waited, still no sign of anyone in pursuit. But soon, he could almost swear that the pounding in his skull had begun to lessen slightly, the shooting pains in his abdomen growing duller and less frequent. He opened his golden eyes slowly and glanced down at the arm into which he had injected the compound. _I did it...  
_  
All at once his left ear swiveled in the direction from which he had come, the slightest of far off noises having alerted his senses, and he recalled his mission. He got to his feet, leaving the bag and it's contents there on the floor, for they were of no further use to him.  
  
Inuyasha took off down the corridor at a run, his hanyou blood aiding the antidote in it's quest to neutralize the poison and hastening his recovery, though he was far from peak condition. Still, without the bag or the hindrance of the toxin he was able to devote his full attention to his senses, straining to detect the faintest sign of Kagome -- a scent, a sound...anything. All the while he could hear the soldiers in the corridors behind him, still out of sight, but steadily gaining -- they knew these halls better than he, and didn't make the mistake of turning down dead ended corridors as he did. Besides, if Naraku was half the strategist he appeared to be he would almost certainly be using their number to great advantage, splitting them into groups when they weren't sure which direction he had gone. After all, hanyou or not, it wouldn't take an army to kill Inuyasha -- one well-aimed bullet would be enough. He could only hope that the Nazis on his tail were lousy shots.  
  
At long last Inuyasha's nose picked up the faintest scent of vanilla. "Kagome..." he murmured, pausing to locate its source before hurtling down the corridor to his left. The scent grew stronger and stronger as he approached, but he could see nothing -- there were no doors, no break in the solid grey stone lining his path.  
  
Finally the hallway came to a 'T' with another, broader corridor, and turning to his right he could see a heavy iron door directly at the end. That was it; she had to be there.  
  
But just as he began to approach the door, a shot rang out from behind him and he ducked instinctively, throwing up his arms and stumbling to the ground as the sound of lead ricocheting off iron echoed through the corridor. In a flash he was surrounded by soldiers, their heavy, black, standard-issue combat boots thundering ominously against the cool stone. Yet there was one rhythm in the cacophony of footsteps that was different: it was slow and measured, unhurried and unmistakable. The silver-haired hanyou knelt on the ground, lifting eyes of molten gold to meet gazes with none other than Naraku.  
  
There was a cruel shadow of a smile behind the demon's deadly scarlet irises as he said with smug yet indisputable certainty, "It is over, Inuyasha; I told you that you would be unable to help her."  
  
"As long as she's alive, I won't give up. I can save her," Inuyasha countered, ever one to dispute the indisputable. "I know she's here -- I can smell her, just beyond the door."  
  
Naraku's subtle yet haunting smirk grew ever so slightly. "You are a fool. Do you know what is beyond that door? It is a one-way portal -- prisoners pass through it, but they do not return. She has been taken there to die."  
  
Horror clenched at Inuyasha's stomach, a sudden feeling of panic and dread washing over him. She had been taken there to... _No,_ he thought desperately, _No, I won't let it happen. I can stop them..._  
  
Getting to his feet, he narrowed his gaze with determination and opened his mouth to retort, but at that moment the unequivocal sound of rapid gunfire -- multiple rifle discharges -- came from beyond the door, muffled by lead and stone, yet cutting him to the quick as he realized what it must mean.  
  
All of the blood drained from his face, and for a moment all he could do was stand like a stone, staring into space, an expression of devastation apparent from the depths of his amber eyes, wide with shock. "Kagome..." he whispered hoarsely.  
  
Then, as quickly as it had left him, his spirit and anger returned ten-fold, so terrible that he shook with the force of it. "You killed her," he growled venomously, annoyed to receive no more than a raise of the eyebrow in return. "I'll kill you, you bastard!"  
  
At these words he brandished the two weapons he'd scavenged from his guards, but instead of following through on his threat to murder the general, who merely continued to observe him as though fully aware of the hanyou's true intent, he aimed at the soldiers surrounding. All at once it was pure bedlam, adrenaline and anger taking control so that he was hardly aware of what he was doing, acting almost entirely on instinct. Guns were fired, but with so many soldiers in a relatively confined space, all aiming at the same target, the hanyou found he actually had an advantage. The soldiers were reluctant to risk killing their comrades, so their movement was somewhat restricted, and if Inuyasha kept close to the soldiers as he fought his way, bullet and claw, to the door he was able to dodge their shots with ease.  
  
A couple of gunshots released the latch on the door, and the silver-haired hanyou burst into a barren, gravel-paved courtyard that reeked of death, catching his first glimpse of the sky in days, the clouds appearing as though soaked in blood for their harsh pink hue. As he ran across the courtyard and scaled the high stone wall opposite he tried desperately to ignore the lingering scent of blood in the air, the telltale stains and bullet marks covering the wall to his right, and the faint trace of sweet vanilla that was so out of place in the morbid setting.  
  
At long last he reached the top of the wall and hopped down from it to the much-closer ground -- apparently the courtyard was a sort of pit, dug deep beneath the surface -- disregarding the protests of his still-healing and rapidly tiring body as he bounded away into the surrounding forests.  
  
Far below him Naraku watched calmly, his expression unchanged from the quiet, pitiless amusement he had displayed all the while.  
  
"Shall we pursue him, sir?" questioned his lieutenant, but the general shook his head slowly and turned to go inside, replying in his darkly supple voice, "Let him go; he is of no threat or usefulness to us any longer. There is nothing left for him to seek here."  
  
-- -- --  
  
The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving the world cloaked in the eerie middle-blue shade of twilight, when the day had ended but the night had yet to fully set in. Inuyasha sat perched high in a tree, above the realm that prying eyes were most likely to search, far from the courtyard and the labyrinthine tunnels that must have spread beneath half of Asile, to have an outlet so far afield. He had run through the dense forest without thought of direction, his mind focused wholly on his escape in order to close out all else, but when the scents died away, assuring him that he was well and truly alone, and his still recovering body had begged him for rest, the adrenaline that had fueled him quickly spent, he had taken to the trees for cover. Now there was nothing to stand between him and his grief.  
  
"Kagome..." he whispered into the half-dark. She was gone -- he knew it. Her scent was unmistakable, and the mere thought of how it's gentle innocence had been mixed with the stench of blood and terror and gunpowder that hung low over that hellish courtyard, drained of it's life and vivacity, was enough to make him ill.  
  
The hanyou fisted clawed hands in his long silver tresses, golden eyes squeezed shut against tears of frustration and anger. He should have been there for her! He should have been able to save her, should have protected her with his life, if necessary. Self-directed fury lanced through him as swiftly as the poison had done, wounding him just as deeply; only this was a wound of the mind and the soul, not of the body.  
  
_She died...because of me,_ he thought darkly. _If it hadn't been for me none of this would've ever happened. Oh god, Kagome, can you ever forgive me? Can I ever forgive myself?_  
  
What was he supposed to do now? Sango and Miroku would be returning before long, surely, if they hadn't already. They would be wondering what had befallen the two of them, and it would be better all around if they were to learn of Kagome's death from him rather than by other means. He didn't even want to think about the horrific picture the Nazis were likely to paint of her -- a spy, a treacherous whore who got only what she deserved. They would make an example of her, use her death to frighten others into submission. Or even worse, they might simply erase her from existence, dismissing her life in its entirety as though she had never walked the earth to begin with.  
  
She may not have been perfect -- he knew that very well, of course -- but somehow all he could seem to remember of her was her goodness, her sweetness, her strength. He tried to remember his anger toward her days earlier, when he had discovered her betrayal of sorts, thinking selfishly that if only he could resent her the pain would become less somehow. But despite his efforts, the simple fact of her death caused all such conflicts to pale in comparison. All he knew was that he would never look upon her face again, and that thought in itself was killing him inside.  
  
-- -- --  
  
Sango and Miroku had returned to find the cafe dark and empty, an eerie stillness about the place giving one the sense of unfinished business, as though the entire building were haunted by the spirits of lives interrupted and sent awry.  
  
The young woman's brown eyes flitted about apprehensively and an obscure yet prominent worry creased her face. "Something's not right," she whispered to the man standing close behind her.  
  
"I know," was all he could think to say in response, his voice grim and dark with concern.  
  
That was when another voice spoke up from the shadows at the very back of the room, startling the pair, for neither had observed the figure, so still and silent had he been until now. "She's dead." The words were like gravel under footsteps heavy with remorse, grumbled low and mournfully but with a dismal conviction.  
  
Sango's blood ran cold and she raised a stunned hand to her mouth at the message, recognizing the voice and the shadowy profile from whence it came. "Inuyasha, is that you? Is she...is Kagome really...?" she inquired softly, incapable of speaking the words aloud. There was no response. "Oh my god..." She barely felt it as Miroku's arms encircled her shoulders bracingly, comfortingly, so numb was she with shock. Kagome was dead? How could that be true? How could things have changed so much so quickly?  
  
Drawing in a sharp breath as astonishment slowly gave way to anguish, the woman slid her arms around her love and pressed her face into his chest, clinging to him like a lifeline, and he tightened his hold on her in response as they shared the pain of their sudden loss.  
  
But across the room in the shadows sat Inuyasha, utterly alone in his despair, his amber eyes dark and staring with the look of a child who has lost his only friend, or a man who has lost his only love. All he had for company were his sorrows and a tall bottle of very cheap wine in which he prayed he would be able to drown them.  
  
-- -- --

A/N: Man this stuff is heavy. Please, _somebody_ let me know if I'm laying it on too thick…I swear I won't get mad if you say it's crap…(--grin--)

By the way, does anyone recognize the line _'…only this was a wound of the mind and the soul, not of the body,'_? Because as I was writing it I got this feeling of déjà vu, as if I'd either written it or read it somewhere before. Weird, huh? Did I use it in _Alter Ego_ or something? I dunno…

Anyway, review pretty please! Oh, and I recently heard about this new fic contest site called Protégé, and I'd love a nomination if you're willing to give it (--grin-- I'm so subtle, aren't I? He-he…). Before I wake up and start kicking myself for campaigning, I'll just tell you that the url is at the bottom of my bio, if you want to check it out. Incidentally, there are links to a lot of _great_ fics there, so even if you don't want to nominate me (for which I wouldn't blame you after such a shameless plea…) you should give it a look. Okay, shutting up now…

Bye! (I now have four and a half hours before I have to get up…the author's notes took an _hour_ to do! Geeze…)


	14. Departure

Author's Note: Sorry I'm so late with this (not to mention my other current fics as well) – the thing is about halfway through this chappie I got stuck, and I couldn't seem to bring myself to start on any other chapters until I'd gotten past my block on this one. I did write a oneshot (for Ranma ½), which is on my bio, as well as about a chapter of a new Mir/San fic (not The Best Man – this one's called Fooling Around, and it was one of those random inspirations I just couldn't resist), which I may polish up, and post at some point. Just what I need, right? Another fic to neglect...

Oh well. But I still hold fast to my promise that I will _never_ abandon a fic. I hate unfinished stories...

Anyway, here I am now with the next installment of Missing in Action. Oh! I almost forgot (--grin--) thanks to whoever took pity on me and nominated this story for a Protégé. Love ya! And for those of you who haven't seen my bio page lately, the People's Choice polls (for Protégé) are up, so vote for me pretty please! The url is on my bio. I won't win I know -- I'm in like fifth place for my category...but last time I checked I was beating Rozefire's _Father Figure_, which I'm proud of! I've read that fic and it's better than this one...but pretend you didn't hear that...(--grin--)

Crystal Music: Moi? Fond of metaphors? (--bats eyelashes innocently--) Never... (--grin--) You know what's weird? That last line of the last chapter (the one you thought was overdone – and I must admit, I kinda see your point...) – someone else (can't remember who) said they thought it was really effective. Isn't it strange how the same thing can appear totally differently to two different people? (--shrugs--) Just thought that was interesting...

Fallen-Snow: Yeah, I've heard of the stages of grief (ever see that episode of Frasier? I love that one...), but the thing is that (according to my psych. prof.) often times the early stages actually go by so fast that they're not really manifested outwardly. They're more like instinctive reactions. Anyway, I pretty much based their reaction on my own experience when I found out that one of my friends' mother had been killed last year (though that was a bit different of course). Nonetheless, looking back at it, you're probably right to some degree – I think I rushed it a bit. It's hard not to at the end of a chapter, y'know? (--grin--) And that flashback thing is a good idea...

regni: Thanks so much – glad you like it. And yay for Hogan's Heroes! You know I once read an article in TV Guide that placed it as one of the fifty _worst_ TV shows of all time...feh, this from the people who brought us things like American Idol and The Apprentice. And they dare mock Hogan? Grrr...(--grin--) Oh, and I'll be sure to put that book on my 'Things to Read' list – thanks!

Pixie Jones: Oh my god, I do that pacing thing too! You should have seen me while I was reading _Dead Famous_ – I swear I got more exercise reading that fic than running the mile (lol)

Ariel: (--happy dance--) Ahh, that was fun! (--grin--)

tk239: (--sticks out tongue--) shut up... (--grin-- sorry, I couldn't resist...)

Aki Shindo: (--grin--) Feel free to suck up whenever you like! I'm sort of what you might call...'invisible' in real life, so this is where I get to indulge myself (lol). Seriously though, that's a huge compliment, and as to your question, well...can't really answer that one can I? TTFN!

Ayrith: First of all, let me assure you that I'm in no way offended by your review – on the contrary, I totally identify with it. I actually left a pair of reviews with a similar ring to them for another story (though mine were on the subject of Inu/Kik versus Inu/Kag – I just can't take the Inu/Kik pairing, even as a subplot, which it was in the case of the story I reviewed). The thing is (and I read your review to _Alter Ego_ as well, so I'm taking that into account) that I actually like Kikyo as a character. I play her as evil at times, as well as non-evil (as in AE) – it's only when she's in the way of an Inu/Kag pairing that I can't stand her. But whether evil or not, I always try to give her substance. Any character without substance is just plain dull, and to tell you the truth I think the evil characters are often the most fun to write and analyze (not to mention play). Whichever way I go with her in a particular fic, I'm usually writing her as the character I would want to play in the story if it were on stage or something, so, from an objective standpoint, I guess she's one of my favorites as well. Anyway, I'd better shut up or people will get annoyed at me for taking up space. Ta ta!

Sarien: (to your review of ch 1) I know exactly what you mean. I sit here reading fics and just automatically correcting spelling and grammar under my breath as I go along (isn't that sad?). One of these days I'm going to find a way to write a high school fic that actually approximates what high school is _really_ like – something lightyears away from, "Kag and Inu are the most popular kids in school..." blah, blah, blah... I have yet to find such a fic. Wouldn't that be great? (to your review of ch 13) As to the cohabitation of humans and demons, well, I must admit I don't really have an entire history to explain it. I guess I'm sort of thinking of the demons as a nationality without a specific country (kind of like the Jews before the Zionist movement, though not discriminated against in the same way – and obviously not victims of the Holocaust, because then Naraku and Kouga would be in _big_ trouble. I guess their demon powers qualify them to be part of the 'Master Race'...) Does that make sense?

Dolphingirl0113: I think I told you this already, but thanks so much for reading and I'm glad you like it!

Rika: _Twelve times?!_ Man, I don't think _I_ could read it twelve times...(--grin--)

nitre angel: In answer to your question from ch 11, the thing is that Kouga already had his suspicions about her, but he didn't want to believe them. When he walked in on them, she knew the jig was up. In answer to your second question, well, he was a little busy running for his life at the time...(--grin--)

Jade Catseye: (--grins like an idiot--) Thanks! Glad you like it! I love it when author's I know read my stuff – makes me feel all warm and fuzzy...(lol)

KittySamurai503: Of course it's not the end! I'm not _that_ mean...(--grin--)

Ahhh! Please don't kill me for the long review replies! I'll try to control myself next time, really I will...

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 14: Departure

Sight, sound, and sensation seemed inseparable, indistinguishable from one another in the musty darkness of that deep chamber. Every breath she drew was an effort, and the only way she managed to cling to consciousness was by focusing the whole of her attention on maintaining them -- in and out, in and out, like the tides of the ocean. Her eyelids drooped sleepily, but she refused to give in -- there was no telling what they might do to her if she were to fall asleep. Not that she was in any position to prevent them, bound as she was, wrists tied securely to the back of the rough wooden chair in which she had sat for who knows how long. Nonetheless, if she were awake she would, at the very least, be aware of anything that should befall her, and at the moment it seemed that that knowledge was the sole weapon in her arsenal.  
  
She drew another whisper of a breath and bowed her head to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut for just a moment. She was so tired -- every inch of her body ached, and there was a layer of grime and dirt coating her skin and tattered clothes, mingled with blood from the lacerations on her arms and legs. Her hair was matted and disheveled, a few strands hanging limply about her face. A trace of blood lingered upon her lower lip, which was swollen and cracked, dark bruises marring her otherwise pale skin, and tears of pain that she had been unable to wipe away were now long dried upon her cheeks.  
  
_I have to be strong,_ she thought bracingly. _I must endure this -- I knew the possible consequences when I began this journey and I accepted them. I will do as I must, regardless of what happens to me._  
  
The door behind her opened with an ominous, echoing clang, and she utilized her remaining strength to lift her head in order to face the man who came around before her.  
  
Kouga looked down at her stonily, cold hatred evident in his expression, but she managed to meet his gaze defiantly, with as much dignity as she could muster under the circumstances. "You still refuse to cooperate," he mused darkly, growing weary of this little game. Though he spoke in German, she understood every word, and responded in kind.  
  
"I do," she replied grimly. "I refuse to-"  
  
"Still believe that your hanyou savior will come flying to your rescue on wings of eagles, do you?" he interrupted contemptuously.  
  
"Leave Inuyasha out of this -- it has nothing to do with him."  
  
"Indeed," the wolf-demon nodded. "I feel obligated to inform you that he will not be coming for you -- now or ever."  
  
Her eyes narrowed upon the man's smug face and she demanded, "What have you done to him?"  
  
"He has been...taken care of," he replied darkly. "When he learned of your 'untimely demise', he went into a rage and mounted an ill-fated escape attempt. Needless to say, we put him out of his misery."  
  
Kagome made no reply, the unspoken implication of Kouga's words seeping under her skin like a poison, pooling within her and sapping her of all her strength of will. _Then he's..._ She couldn't even bring herself to think the words, lest she lose hold of what fragile composure she had managed to preserve throughout this ordeal.  
  
Now was not the time for such thoughts. She couldn't afford to lose herself to her grief -- not yet. Drawing yet another painfully thin breath and forcing her emotions to the back of her consciousness, she brought her attention to the matter at hand. "What is it you want here, Kouga? I hardly think that you would take time out of your busy schedule just to inform me of such a small incident."  
  
"Indeed, Miss Kagome, I would not -- you know me too well. But then I suppose that's exactly what got you into trouble in the first place, isn't it?" He spared her a darkly amused smirk, and continued. "Actually, I have some rather pleasant news to deliver. It seems that you will be taking a bit of a trip -- you may even have the honor of meeting the Führer in person."  
  
Her heart rate sped up ever so slightly as fear gripped her, his words -- delivered in mock pleasantness -- chilling her to the bone. "You're taking me to Berlin?" she murmured hesitantly, but Kouga only smiled once more.  
  
"You'll have to be cleaned up, of course," he said offhandedly. "You can't be presented to the Führer in such a state. Someone will be down to assist you momentarily." He gave her one last smirk, and then he was gone, sweeping out the door and shutting it behind him with a resounding ring and click of the lock sliding back into place.

* * *

In the early hours of the morning, long before the first rays of sunlight would begin to broach the horizon, sorrow hung like a cloud over the Cafe de l'Asile, where two figures sat hand in hand at one of the wooden tables in the silent room. Inuyasha had long since drunken himself into a heavy, alcohol-induced sleep, never once having moved from his haunt at the back of the restaurant. But Sango and Miroku had opted instead to take a more practical approach to the situation, if indeed more difficult.  
  
The brown-haired woman stared unseeingly into space, feeling drained and tired, yet unable to sleep. Her tears were all but spent, she and Miroku having passed the hours of the night talking, trying to find some semblance of peace, some measure of acceptance. Sango, having been closer to Kagome, for they had known each other since childhood, naturally took the news harder than did Miroku, but he had offered her all the comfort he had to give, and she was grateful.  
  
But after the initial shock had worn off, both of them had begun to realize that their troubles were far from over. Grief aside, there were other issues much more pertinent to the immediate future that they would have to consider.  
  
Miroku squeezed Sango's hand gently to draw her attention to him, saying gravely, "You know we can't stay here."  
  
She nodded absently and murmured, "Yes -- I know. I know..."  
  
He hesitated slightly, not wishing to burden her any more than necessary, but asked gently, "How long will it take you to close things up here? We'll most likely never be able to return, but nonetheless, we can't afford to leave them any evidence of our operation that might lead them to others."  
  
Again she nodded, still a bit disconnected but making a visible effort to concentrate. There were still things to be taken care of. "Not long," she replied dully. "If you help me it can be done in an hour or so."  
  
"Good, because I don't think we're going to have much more than that. The sun has already begun to rise."  
  
"What about Inuyasha?"  
  
The man glanced toward the hanyou in question with an expression of thought and sighed. "Hopefully he'll have sobered up enough to move by then. With his hanyou physiology he should have processed most of the alcohol by now -- I only hope he'll be reasonable enough to pull himself together and come with us. If he refuses, we won't be able to waste time waiting for him to change his mind."  
  
"He'll come," Sango assured him, but Miroku still retained a look of skepticism.

* * *

Sango moved skillfully about her room, emptying secret compartments of their contents into a pile upon her bed. Everything had to go -- there was no time for sentimentality or nostalgia. All items that contained so much as a hint of their activities would be burned, and the rest -- all her clothes, her books, letters from friends long gone, her entire life to this moment -- would be left behind to be ravished by the soldiers who would undoubtedly arrive to scour the place in but a few hours' time. She could not afford to lend precious time to regret and mourning for the life she was abandoning, for it must no longer be hers. There was no other way.  
  
She did the same to all the other rooms, all their hiding places having been long since burned into her memory, for they had all known that this day might eventually come, and they had to be ready to deal with it as swiftly as possible -- methodically, like clockwork. But when she reached Kagome's room she came across an object that gave her a moment's pause: Kagome's old diary. It was simply lying out upon the dresser, and would doubtless have escaped the notice of anyone who didn't know what it was, but Sango did know, and thus it stood out like the red of blood over green grass.  
  
Gingerly she lifted the object to run her fingers over the scarred leather binding. Within this volume was the life and soul of the friend she had grown up with, all that she had been up until the time of Hojo's death, the time when the world had grown cold with hate and life had become like a web of lies and deceit; when life's goal of happiness had been replaced by the goal of mere survival.  
  
It was a past that paralleled the one she too was leaving behind her. But she, unlike Kagome, still had her future to create. For Kagome, all that she was or would ever be allowed to be was her past. Could she, Sango, abandon her friend's past to the Nazis to be maimed and defiled, just as they had stolen her future?  
  
No, she could not. At the very least she would be able to bury it, lay her friend to rest properly, as the Nazis would not allow her to. And with that decision she secured the small leather book within the waistband of her black leggings, beneath the edge of the dark turtle necked sweater, concealed from view.

* * *

Miroku glanced up as Sango appeared from the stairwell, dusting her hands to rid them of the soot from the upstairs fireplace. He offered her an encouraging if somewhat strained smile, knowing that this was most likely the most difficult thing she'd ever had to do. She returned the smile as best she could, then glanced about curiously.  
  
"Where's Inuyasha?" she questioned.  
  
"In the back, splashing some water on his face. He'll be ready to leave any minute. I've taken care of everything on this floor -- are you finished upstairs?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Good. Sango," he crossed the room and took hold of her shoulders, meeting her eyes solemnly, "...I have to go."  
  
A startled frown appeared in her eyes at that. "What? Where?"  
  
"My contact has to be informed that we won't be around anymore, but I'll catch up to you, I promise."  
  
"But you've got to get out of here," she insisted. "The Nazis know your face for certain -- you're the one most at risk here, especially since you're a civilian! Tell me where to find him -- I'll go instead."  
  
He shook his head firmly. "I can't do that. It's dangerous, and I will not have you taking that risk."  
  
"Don't act like I'm some fragile child who can't take care of herself, Miroku. I'm just as experienced as-"  
  
"It's not just that -- I'm the only one authorized to make contact. If you were to show up out of the blue they'd think you were a spy or something. Things are done this way for a reason, alright? It's my responsibility, and I'm going to take care of it."  
  
Her eyes fell to his chest as he finished and she released a breath in defeat. He was right, and she knew it. "I'm just worried about you," she whispered voice thick with unshed tears, and he drew her comfortably against his chest as she wound her arms around his waist in return. "I lost you once already, and I'm scared to death of losing you forever -- can you blame me?"  
  
"I know," Miroku replied quietly, swaying back and forth ever so slightly as he savored her warmth. "But you won't lose me -- I promise you that."  
  
"That's a promise you'd better keep. If you don't, I'll never forgive you."  
  
"I'll keep it -- god help the man who incurs the wrath of Sango," he said with a shadow of his usual wry humor, and she gave a small smile against his shoulder, drawing herself a bit closer.  
  
Pulling back slightly, Miroku put a hand gently to Sango's cheek and pressed his lips to hers. Her hands grasped the back of his shirt as she melted into the sweetness and comfort of his embrace, telling herself that they would be together again soon enough. At long last they broke apart and looked into each other's eyes, their respective expressions conveying their feelings more accurately than words could ever manage.  
  
"Be careful," Sango murmured, and he nodded.  
  
"You too; I'll see you soon."  
  
"I know." And with that he released her from his arms, her hand trailing reluctantly down his arm as he stepped away and crossed swiftly to disappear out into the night.  
  
Behind her the silver-haired hanyou observed the scene in silence, his normally vivid eyes dull, deprived of their luster, his countenance somehow diminished and mildly dark. Despite his efforts to block it out, the image called to mind a similar farewell that had taken place not so long ago.  
  
_He looked back at her intensely. Slowly, without even thinking, he slid his arm around her waist and drew her closer. Her eyes drifted shut as she succumbed to him without resistance, letting him capture her lips in a gentle kiss. She wound her arms around his neck, unable to hold back the tears any longer as she pressed closer to him, deepening the embrace.  
  
He could feel the wetness of her tears on his own cheeks, taste the salt of them on her lips even as he tasted her for the first and last time. They both knew that in a war-torn world people came and went like the seasons, and each, for his or her own reasons, knew they would never see the other again. This kiss, first and last, was filled with goodbye.  
  
When finally their lips parted, Inuyasha looked into hazel eyes full of a pain that he didn't quite understand. He gently wiped away her tears with his thumb, kissed her lightly one last time, and turned to go..._  
  
His eyes slid closed. _At least I got the chance to see her once more,_ he thought. _Even that was no more than borrowed time. I have to let her go..._  
  
Sango's quiet yet determined voice stirred him from his musings. "Come on, Inuyasha. We've got to get going."

* * *

Kagome walked serenely down the long carpeted corridor, allowing the soldier at her elbow to guide her without complaint. She had been allowed to shower and tend to the wounds she had incurred while in captivity, and she had been given a fine skirt suit of dark material, heels, and even a pair of nylons -- a rarity in times of war, as the material was essential to the making of more belligerent commodities. Her ebony hair had been carefully combed and pinned into a stylish yet comfortable and functional arrangement that rested low on the back of her head, near the nape of her neck. In fact, they had even gone so far as to mask her bruises with make up -- they were barely visible now, unless you knew where to look. It was apparent that the purpose of all this was not simply to make her presentable; however, exactly what that purpose was Kagome couldn't guess.  
  
They reached a large polished wooden door and the soldier brought her to a halt before it, rapping sharply upon the smooth surface with his knuckles.  
  
"Come," answered a voice from within, and the soldier did as ordered, opening the door and guiding her inside. Upon entry she found herself in a large, finely furnished office, and in it's center, at the back of a couch that faced a fireplace, stood Kouga.  
  
His cold green eyes regarded her with the spite that she had become accustomed to since his discovery of her betrayal, and she met his gaze placidly, waiting calmly for whatever explanation he had summoned her to receive. But to her surprise, Kouga said nothing. Instead he turned away in the direction of the fireplace and addressed a tall officer who stood at the edge of the mantle, partially hidden in shadows such that she had failed to notice him when she had first come in.  
  
"She has arrived, General," the wolf-demon said in a businesslike tone of voice, and the tall dark-haired man turned slowly to observe her in a manner of appraisal. His countenance was so imposing and quietly frightening that Kagome marveled that she had failed to notice him in the first place -- and yet perhaps that was what was most frightening about him: that apparent ability to fade into the background even as he stood mere feet in front of her. This could be none other than General Naraku.  
  
"Very well, that should do," the man said at last in a voice that chilled Kagome to the bone.  
  
"Indeed," drawled a female voice from further in the shadows, and yet another figure whose presence Kagome had failed to notice appeared. But that matter was immediately pushed from her mind as she took in the appearance of the other woman in shock. "She my exact duplicate," Kikyo continued, her eyes sweeping Kagome's form critically as well. "The plan should go off without so much as a hitch, assuming that this wolf's men don't make any asinine blunders."  
  
"My men are perfectly capable, I assure you," the aforementioned wolf growled in barely restrained annoyance, but he was ignored nonetheless.  
  
At last Kagome resolved to speak, employing all her skills at cool-headedness to keep her voice even and strong. "Just what do you plan to do with me, exactly?"  
  
"That is not your concern," Naraku replied. "If you do as you are told and cooperate with the officers I can guarantee that your death, when it comes, will be swift and painless. If you do not, I cannot make such a promise. That is all you need to know for the moment -- the rest will be revealed to you when and if I see fit. Is that clear?"  
  
All she could manage was a nod.

* * *

Keeping to the shadows and listening carefully to avoid the occasional sentry passing on his nightly patrol of the village streets, Miroku made his way stealthily toward the familiar alleyway. He kept watch over is shoulder as he slipped into the close and approached an old wooden door about halfway along, knocking upon it in a quiet yet distinct pattern. Moments later the door opened a crack to reveal a watchful eye peering out at him. Then the eye widened in relieved recognition and the door was opened further as a hand promptly dragged him into the dark room beyond and shut the door behind him.  
  
No sooner was he inside than a pair of arms was thrown around his neck, squeezing him so tightly he wondered that he could still breathe. Having expected as much, he merely returned the embrace, though perhaps not as fiercely.  
  
"I thought you were dead," choked a small somewhat muffled voice from somewhere near his ear. "They told us you had been killed -- I was so afraid..."  
  
"I'm sorry," he murmured in reply, holding the woman comfortingly. "I didn't mean to worry you, Koharu, but I had no way of contacting anyone. I was shot and left for dead, but fortunately I managed to survive the wound."  
  
Her arms tightened a bit and he could smell the salt of tears, which only served to make him feel that much more guilty for what he was about to do. "Look," he began, gently trying to pry her arms from around his neck so that he could look her in the face. Reluctantly she released him and gazed searchingly up into his eyes, unabashed at the tears staining her cheeks.  
  
"What is it?" she questioned. "What ever it is, we can get through it -- we're together again."  
  
The utterly naive hopefulness in her words made him feel like absolute pond scum, but he resisted the urge to sigh heavily and drop his head into his hands, instead steeling himself to deliver the bad news. "I'm afraid it's not going to work out that way, Koharu. I have to leave town immediately, and it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to come back."  
  
Pain flooded her eyes. "But...but you're here, you just got back... I'll come with you, Miroku. There's nothing here for me; nothing but you. You're the only man I've ever loved -- the only man I've ever...you know..." her voice trailed off and her eyes dropped in mild embarrassment. Oh boy, did he know...  
  
_Shit -- could I possibly be any lower?_ he thought weakly. _How can I tell this sweet, would-be-innocent-if-it-weren't-for-me, young girl that what happened between us all those months ago was no more than a severe lapse in judgment on my part? Gods, I've never regretted anything more than I regret that one night...and saying that would probably destroy her..._  
  
_I've got to let her down as easily as possible -- it's the least I can do for what I did to her._  
  
"Koharu, it just wasn't meant to be between us. My cover's been blown -- I can't stay here any longer, much less be of any use to the Resistance in Asile, but you...you still have work to do here. The cause needs you. It would be selfish of us to desert it now just for the sake of our happiness. I'll always treasure what we've shared, my darling Koharu, but I'm afraid there's no other choice. It's time to say goodbye."  
  
Tears had begun to stream freely down her face and her lower lip quivered slightly. "No," she pleaded, "I can't let you go -- I just can't."  
  
"You must. And when the day comes that the war is over and the world begins to be rebuilt, promise me that you will not cling to my memory. You still have a long life to live, and I know that one day you'll find someone who'll be able to make you happier than I ever could."  
  
"No -- I'll always love you. I can't imagine being with anyone else," she said, throwing her arms around his neck once more and burying her sobs in his shoulder.  
  
Miroku couldn't quite suppress a helpless roll of his eyes at that. _Jesus, she sure isn't making this any easier for me, is she..._  
  
"Please, don't cry," he soothed, adding more to himself than to her, "I'm not worth it..."  
  
At long last she managed to pull herself together, sniffling and swiping at her tears, and she straightened with determination. "I...I understand why you have to go," she admitted reluctantly, "And you're right -- it would be selfish of us to run away, but...but Miroku, before you leave, would you at least kiss me one last time?"  
  
He hesitated only slightly, thinking, _Sorry Sango...you'd understand, wouldn't you, under the circumstances?_ before taking her in his arms and giving her the sweetest, gentlest kiss he could muster. She surprised him slightly by opening her mouth just a bit to deepen the embrace, turning it more passionate, but he indulged her whims thinking that it couldn't possibly do any harm at this point.  
  
Finally she broke away and abruptly turned her back to him. "Go," she said quietly, "before I lose the strength to let you."  
  
He gave her a sad sort of smile, admiring her courage, and did as she bade.

* * *

Across town a young, dark-haired woman was escorted along the stone walk at the front of Kouga's villa to a well-polished black car waiting at the circular driveway. One of the soldiers in her 'escort' stepped into the vehicle, motioning for her to follow, and then she was followed by the second. Finally, The General stepped up to the open door of the car and bent slightly to peer in at her.  
  
"Remember, you are to do exactly as you are told, lest you should meet an untimely and unpleasant demise. Is that understood, 'Kikyo'?" he asked, putting the slightest emphasis on the final word.  
  
Kagome nodded solemnly, only her eyes betraying her hatred for the man before her.  
  
"Good." And with that he slammed the door shut and motioned to the driver to be on his way. Then, turning slowly back to reenter the house, he glanced up to one of the windows on the second floor to see Kikyo gazing down at him, a shrewd smile on her face. His lips curved slightly in return.

* * *

A/N: See?! She's not dead!! Man, I've been itching to yell that out the whole time I was writing the review replies, but I didn't want to disrupt the flow of the chapter. Although most of you knew, or at least suspected, that she was alive – but nonetheless...

Anyway, not to toot my own horn, but there are a couple of scenes in this chappie that I really like. Then again there's a little section near the middle where I can hear myself starting to BS – that's about where I got stuck. But we won't talk about that... (--grin--)

So, opinions anyone?

P.S. While writing the Koharu scene I kept accidentally typing 'Kohaku' instead...now _that_ would be a twist...(lol)

P.P.S. Quick edit is getting on my nerves...grr... Can't it just make up it's mind for once? (--sigh--)


	15. Gestalt

Author's Notes: Eh heh…(--cringes--) Sooo…two months eh? What can I say? Life's a bitch…

Seriously though, if anyone's been reading my bio (and I'm sure you all positively hang on my every word --grin--), I've had a lot on my mind lately with the fall musical, my senior project, my college applications, and a million other things that I don't even want to _think_ about right now for fear of an anxiety attack. But thankfully, at long last I seem to have rediscovered my 'voice' for fanfiction (it went missing for awhile – don't ask me where the hell it went), and I'm going to make a concerted effort to update _something_ at least once a week. I can't promise it will always be this story, but I'll try to be better about this stuff from now on. Kay? (--grin--)

Anyway, thank you guys _so_ much for all your reviews and encouragement…and the occasional polite 'nudge' in the right direction…

Crystal Music: Bullseye! Congratulations, you win the prize – that was exactly where I was BS-ing in the last chappie. Nice shot!

Dolphingirl0113: (--grin--) Y'know, you probably knew I was going to have Kag masquerade as Kikyo before I did. It was one of those spur of the moment decisions – and to tell the truth I broke one of my own rules in doing it: I referenced the existence of a 'plan' without actually knowing what the plan was. Heh heh…that's part of the reason this chapter took so long for me to start – I had to figure out exactly what 'the plan' was first…

Fallen-Snow: Okay, _now_ I'm over my writer's block for real. (--grin--) The goal is to get another chappie of FHHH out next weekend. _Please_, yell at me if I start slacking off again…Love ya!!

Inulover12258: Yeah, if you want any help/advice/whatever on writing/developing that idea of yours, feel free to drop me a line. I communicate best by email (I can't type fast enough for AIM --grin--), but you can IM me too if I happen to be on. My contact info's on my bio – I'd be happy to help!

Congratulate me -- I managed to keep review replies to a minimum! I may actually get to sleep tonight! Score!

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 15: Gestalt

The scent of fine Burgundy permeated the room, carried readily upon the warmth rising out of the fireplace, which crackled as it slowly devoured the wood it had been given for fuel. Before the fire, relaxed, yet poised and sedate, sat Naraku, his red irises fixed upon the flames with thoughtful intensity and satisfaction.  
  
"You should be proud of yourself, General," came Kikyo's coolly appreciative voice from where she stood to his left. "You've accomplished a great deal in such a short time. I'll admit I had my doubts when you first came here with the intention of enlisting Kouga's wench, but it seems that everything has worked out well, if not exactly according to plan."  
  
"You said nothing of your doubts to me in Munich," he pointed out without adjusting his gaze, his voice low but conversational in tone.  
  
"It wasn't my place to question you in the matter. Such dissent could have put your plans at risk. Besides, I trust your judgment."  
  
"Indeed," he agreed, a small smile curving his lips as he took a small sip from the wine glass in his hand. "Then you should not have doubted me in the first place."  
  
Her smile matched his for understatedness and mild amusement. "But it is my duty to doubt you. Didn't you once say that I am the one who keeps you from loosing your footing? I'm here to watch your steps for you, see that you do not turn an ankle in the climb to glory."  
  
"You seem to know me better than I know myself at times -- not a privilege I would allow to just anyone. Consider yourself fortunate."  
  
"I am fortunate, Naraku. Some of us, such as you, have ambitions to guide us -- others, such as I, have love. The ones I pity are those poor souls who never do find their paths, who wander aimlessly through life searching for meaning, when all they need to do is create their own."  
  
"You and I are two of a kind, my dear..." he murmured.

* * *

She could feel the tug of momentum, hear the faint whine of the breaks as they scraped against the metal of the train's wheels and pulled the contraption to a gradual stop. Her hand grasped absently for the nearby doorjamb, using it to steady herself as she glanced curiously out the window at the outskirts of the town they were fast approaching.  
  
By now she knew the routine. For the past three days it had been the same thing: travel for an hour or so, then put in at a junction and haul her off the train to run their 'errands'. In truth, even though she'd been doing this for the past three days in at least five or six different towns so far -- she'd lost count somewhere along the way -- she still hadn't the slightest idea of exactly what they were supposed to be accomplishing. She supposed the whole arrangement had been designed that way for a reason. After all, all threats of torture aside, one way or another Kagome was doomed and she knew it, so what was to stop her from playing the martyr and offering herself up as the proverbial wrench in Naraku's machine? But such an effort could likely be wasted if she didn't at least have some idea of what that machine was supposed to do, and that kept her in line, as he'd undoubtedly known it would.  
  
Sure enough, within moments of their arrival a guard appeared at the door of her compartment, snatching her dark overcoat off the nearby hook and thrusting it into her arms, indicating without a word that she put it on. Seeing no reason to protest, Kagome did so, and turned to follow the guard into the corridor and along the length of the car to the nearest exit, another guard trailing behind her.  
  
The moment Kagome set foot on the train platform she was surrounded by the usual entourage. One would have thought they were protecting her rather than preventing her from escaping. Indeed Kagome was certain that that was intentional as well. Kikyo had mentioned something about Kagome being her 'exact duplicate', though neither Kikyo nor Naraku, nor anyone else had elaborated upon the way in which this was useful to them. Naraku had merely given her a set of very simple if ambiguous instructions: To walk with dignity and confidence, to refrain from speaking unless spoken to, and even then giving only simple, dismissive answers, and to give the password when it was requested -- a password that he had required her to memorize. With a sigh, she tugged the collar of her fine woolen coat up a bit more to shield her ears from the unseasonable cold, following the lead of the soldiers and allowing herself to be ushered into a waiting car and whisked away into the town.  
  
Eventually they pulled up in front of a building that sported all the trappings of a makeshift military establishment -- guards at the doors, swastika displayed garishly over the entrance -- much like the other buildings they had frequented during this trip. Kagome filed in with the guards that were not remaining outside to monitor the cars and followed them on back down a couple of corridors to a secure looking room.  
  
The soldier at her right elbow nudged her forward, murmuring, "Password," in German, though she had already anticipated the request and moved to the door.  
  
She leaned close to the guard at the door and uttered the word, "Gestalt," so that only he could hear. With a sharp nod he allowed them entry to the room beyond, though it was only what appeared to be some sort of waiting room. There Kagome and most of her entourage remained as the head guard -- an officer of some rank, with a finely pointed chin and a trim cap of wavy cornsilk-colored hair -- proceeded into the next room to complete whatever business it was they were there for.  
  
What baffled Kagome most thoroughly was why _she_ needed to be there. Surely Naraku could have entrusted this blonde officer with the password much more easily than she, an avowed Resistance member. What purpose did her presence serve? Why hadn't they simply shot her back in Asile?  
  
An hour ticked by, followed by another, and by the time the officer had returned and they were headed back for the station the sky had dimmed to the fiery golden shade of dusk.

* * *

Later that night, the cradle-like motion of the train rocked her back and forth, lulling her into a stupor as she sat upon her relatively comfortable cot, slumped back against the wall and letting the dimness of the cramped cabin seep into her bones. Her eyes were blank and hollow, emotionless voids, windows into a tired soul that seemed to have vacated the body and left no forwarding address.  
  
_Is this all that there is to this world?_ she questioned aimlessly, her thoughts taking on a grim shade that reflected the night sky. _Is happiness an illusion, no more than a brief respite from the misery that lurks just beyond the door, biding its time until it can swallow us up?_  
  
"I can't believe he's dead..." Her voice was disconnected and raw, so unlike her that she hardly recognized the whispered words as her own.  
  
_The Resistance has been my solace these past few years, my hope for the future, my reassurance that the world is more than just a continual cycle of chaos. I lost everything I had, and yet I found strength in the fight for the cause, the fight to restore peace and build a new future. But with each year the losses grow, the sorrows deepen, and the forces of chaos become just that much more formidable.  
  
Somehow I can't help but feel that all we have done, all we have sacrificed, has been for nothing. I'm beginning to see that evil and chaos are so thoroughly entwined within the fabric of humanity that even if we win they will never truly be defeated. They say that this is 'the war to end all wars' -- but it is becoming painfully clear to me that there can be no such thing. So now I wonder -- what is it that we're fighting for?  
  
I'm so tired -- so tired of fighting, so tired of losing, so tired of caring. Inuyasha..._  
  
Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of footsteps in the passageway outside her door, the sharp, weighted plod of combat boots that she had become accustomed too during her captivity. _Dinner_, she thought dully, her appetite diminished by her depressed state of mind. She hardly even kept track of time these days, her internal clock so warped and distorted by injury and long hours spent in windowless rooms that it seemed inconsequential. Her captors saw that she was fed on time, and quite frankly at this point she found it difficult to care one way or another. The entire ordeal was finally catching up with her, taking a tremendous toll on her psyche.  
  
The footsteps came to rest outside the door to her compartment and she heard the latch being unlocked and the door slid open, a dark-haired figure in the stark grey uniform of a Nazi officer appearing in her peripheral vision, but she didn't bother turning to face him. Instead she simply muttered quietly, "What is it now, Kouga?"  
  
"Feh," scoffed an irritable voice in reply, and Kagome's heart tripped in her chest at the sound. With a sharp intake of breath she whirled to face the voice's owner, her eyes going wide in surprise, hardly daring to believe it. It couldn't be...  
  
The man standing before her was leanly built and clad in Nazi uniform, with long ebony tresses secured behind his head in a low ponytail. His face was familiar indeed, but the eyes that shone from within it were brown instead of amber, and the familiar if somewhat broken half-grin that quirked his lips revealed ordinary human canines where fangs should have been.  
  
She swallowed apprehensively, brow furrowed in confusion, certain she must be going insane -- not an unlikely prospect under the circumstances. "Inuyasha?" she whispered tentatively.  
  
"The one and only," he replied in his unmistakable treble, which lacked only a fraction of it's usual arrogance, and she let out her breath in what was almost a sob, pushing herself to her feet at last and throwing herself into his arms.  
  
He readily enveloped her within his embrace, holding her perhaps a bit tighter than he had intended, his eyes squeezed tight as he savored the relief of her presence. Her breath came in unsteady gasps as she buried her face deep into his shoulder, and so they both stood there in silence, taking comfort in each other.  
  
Kagome entwined her fingers in his strangely dark locks and nuzzled her cheek against his neck. "They told me you'd been killed," she whispered, and as she did so she felt his fingers tense on her back.  
  
"Damn Naraku," he growled from deep in his throat, "He made me believe that you were dead -- that's why I didn't come after you. I tried to find you Kagome -- I tried to save you..."  
  
"I know..."  
  
Another moment passed in silence before Inuyasha's arms loosened their grip upon the woman and she pulled back slightly, resting her palm gently upon his cheek and gazing into the honeyed depths of his eyes. A silent promise passed between them to answer all the questions they each withheld as soon as they had the chance -- but for now there were more pressing matters at hand.  
  
"Come on," he murmured conspiratorially, "We don't have much time -- let's get the hell out of here."  
  
"Right," she replied with a nod, already reaching within herself for the reserves of determination and savvy that had fallen into dormancy during her incarceration. "How exactly are we going to go about doing that?"  
  
That reassuringly cocky grin flashed across his mouth, once again drawing her attention to the absence of his fangs, but she cast that question aside for the moment along with the others. "Don't worry about it -- I've got everything under control. Just follow my lead, alright?"  
  
"Follow your lead?" Kagome repeated incredulously. "Inuyasha, we're about to try to escape from a moving train filled with Nazi soldiers whose sole purpose at the moment seems to be guarding me, and all you can give me in the way of a plan is 'follow your lead'?"  
  
"I told you, everything's under control, alright? Just don't go doing anything stupid and we'll be fine. Now come on, let's get going."  
  
Her brow furrowed skeptically, but she reasoned that if he was clever enough to get in, chances were he was clever enough to get back out. She just hoped that whatever this 'plan' of his was wouldn't involve anything too hair-brained.  
  
Even as she thought this, however, her hand slipped comfortably into his, their fingers interlacing as though it were the most natural thing in the world.  
  
As swiftly and silently as possible, he opened the door once again, peering through the gap to see that the area was free of sentries before slipping out into the narrow hallway, Kagome barely a half-step behind. They edged their way along the wall, senses tuned keenly for any sign of trouble, and Inuyasha mentally cursed his measly human ears for the millionth time, wishing fervently that he could have done this on any other night. But the risks of doing so had greatly outweighed the advantages, and in the end they had determined that this was the wisest course of action.  
  
The sound of voices bantering in muffled German filtered through the wall of a nearby compartment, and the hanyou froze as one of them stood out above the rest. Had he more than a rudimentary smattering of German he might have been able to make out the words even through the wall, but unfortunately that was not the case.  
  
Kagome, on the other hand, understood every word, eyes widening in panic as she hissed urgently, "He's coming!" and yanked Inuyasha's arm so that he followed her stumbling into a narrow alcove across the hall -- some sort of mini-pantry -- the pair of them pressing themselves as far into the shadows and out of sight as possible. Neither one dared so much as breath as they listened to the swish of the door and the shuffle of booted feet over the threshold, praying all the while that they wouldn't be discovered.  
  
They shared a sigh of relief as the footsteps faded away, their eyes meeting briefly as a silent 'That was close,' passed between them. Then Inuyasha slipped a guiding arm around her waist and they ducked back into the hallway and made their way down the hall, picking up their speed a bit in the interest of avoiding any similar encounters. Whenever they came upon an occupied compartment they had to crouch low and maneuver beneath the window so as not to be observed by the soldiers within.  
  
At last they reached the last joint in the train, only one car remaining between them and the very back door, which seemed to be their ultimate goal. Unfortunately, unlike the other cars in the train, this one was all one large lounge, lined with plush couches and chairs arranged around low coffee tables, the only exception to this rule being a single wooden dining table surrounded by straight-backed chairs and strewn with the remnants of a meal that had yet to be cleared away. Inside the lounge, as they observed from the narrow bridge linking the cars, the darkness of the outside world in contrast to the light from within shielding them from the eyes of the car's occupants, were several of what appeared to be rather high-ranking officers playing chess, smoking and chatting amiably, well-fed and relaxed. Kagome recognized one of them as a major who had been one of Kouga's personal assistants, and another of them appeared to be the flaxen-haired officer who had lead her excursions from the train the past few days, though she couldn't make out any of the others well enough to place them -- some had their backs turned, and others were either strangers to her or were otherwise obstructed from view.  
  
"What now?" she whispered tugging at Inuyasha's arm to get his attention.  
  
He turned back to her, muttering a small curse, seemingly deep in concentration. "I hadn't counted on them taking so long. This is going to make it a bit messier and a lot more dangerous -- are you up for it Kagome?"  
  
She swallowed, her eyes shifting back and forth between his as she attempted to weigh their options and chances for success. At last she gave a slight nod, "We've come this far -- no point in turning back now," she said resolutely. "Just make me one promise, alright? Don't go getting yourself killed."  
  
His mouth twisted in a wry, cocky smirk. "I'll do my best -- but only if the same goes for you."  
  
"Deal," she murmured, and leaned forward to give him a light kiss, pulling away holding one of the two pistols he'd had stored in the belt of the uniform he wore, leaving the other for him.  
  
"You take three and I take three?" he suggested, and she nodded in confirmation. "Right then -- ready, set...go!"  
  
As one they burst through the door and set to picking off the officers one by one indiscriminately, taking advantage of the men's relaxed state of mind to take care of them before they had the chance to realize what was going on and retaliate with their own weapons. But when Kagome whirled upon the last man standing, she found herself pointing her gun point blank at the forehead of none other than the wolf-demon himself -- Kouga.  
  
Her eyes widened in shock and she froze, somehow unable to pull the trigger. Kouga, likewise, stood still as a statue, his eyes glowing with emerald fire, his hand halfway to his own weapon, knowing that even with his demon speed and marksmanship he didn't have a chance with her at this range.  
  
"Shoot him!" Inuyasha growled in urgent frustration. "Come on Kagome, what the hell are you waiting for? Shoot him and let's get the hell out of here!"  
  
The hanyou's words ringing in her ears, Kagome swallowed thickly, unable to move her gaze from that of the man before her -- the man whose bed she'd shared, if unwillingly, for the past year, the man to whom she had given her virginity, the man she loathed and despised, and yet with whom she had had more intimate contact than with anyone else in the world. And now, she held his very life in her hands.  
  
She couldn't do it.  
  
Making a split second decision, Kagome quickly dropped the gun to aim at his right shoulder and fired, doing the same to his right leg, then, ignoring the wolf's howls of pain and the stream of curses he hurled after them, raced to Inuyasha's side and dragged him with her out the rear door of the train.  
  
Once out on the back platform Inuyasha immediately took control of the situation, knowing they had very little time before reinforcements appeared to respond to the commotion, and he swept Kagome up into his arms and leapt off of the train, maneuvering their descent so that he took the brunt of the impact and then allowing the pair of them to roll like logs down the grassy embankment.  
  
Shoving to his feet and ignoring the shooting pains in his weakened human limbs from the fall, Inuyasha dragged Kagome up as well, and they took off into the trees as breakneck speed, determined to put as much distance between them and the train as possible. Before long the screech of brakes could be heard in the distance as their escape was discovered and the train was stopped to release soldiers to recapture them, but they paid no heed, continuing inexorably in their desperate flight. Soon they could hear the sounds of the soldiers in pursuit, and Kagome began to doubt that they would make it. They seemed to be gaining on them.  
  
"Come on, we have to keep going!" Inuyasha urged when she began to fall behind, her limbs screaming in protest. But the next second Kagome found herself slamming into the man's back, for he had stopped dead in his tracks. Stumbling and grasping his arm to maintain her balance, she peered around Inuyasha's shoulder to see what had stopped him -- and her mouth went dry in shock at the sight.  
  
There before them, flanked by a squad of men training their guns directly upon the couple, dressed in the black overcoat and trappings of the Gestapo, stood none other than Tieresias.

* * *

A/N: Well, you know what to do!

Just two quick things before I go:

1) Sailor-scribe is back! She's opened a new account here under the pen name LunaChick82 and has begun posting chapters of her latest Inufic _Beautiful Miscommunications_, of which I have only read the first chapter so far, but I can hardly wait to read more (I think she's posted three chapters so far). Unfortunately she won't be reposting _The Ad_ (which was the story that got her kicked off in the first place, much to the dismay of many a reader), but she said she's planning to repost _Through The Rose Colored Lenses_, eventually. Yay!

2) A friend of mine has recently begun writing on fiction press under the pen name Sakabatou, and I'd really, _really_ appreciate it if some of you guys would do me a favor and review her story _Small Repairs_. There's a link at the bottom of my bio if you're interested. Thanks!


	16. A Hole in the Universe

Author's Notes: Well, I'm a week late, but that's better than it's been lately so I consider it a victory (--grin--). I've been insanely busy (I know, I know – so what else is new?). But you've heard all my reasons before, so I won't bore you. Besides, weariness quite o'er crows my spirit (damn, I'm quoting Hamlet again…that's just weird…), so I've got to keep these notes short and sweet before I fall asleep.

Myriadragon: (--slaps forehead--) _Duh._ You're absolutely right – that was my mistake. Heh heh…oops… Thanks for pointing it out – I'll have to change it when I get a chance. Oh, and thanks for reviewing my friend's story!

Kgirl333: lol – thanks! And thanks for reviewing Small Repairs!

duckyquack1025: Happy Birthday! (a week ago…better late than never!)

Bluespark: Happy Birthday to you too! Geeze, what's with all the birthdays lately…so many people I know have been having birthdays…

dolphingirl0113: Yeah, I named him Tieresias for a reason…I don't know how _good_ my reason is, but nonetheless…(--grin--) And as for Inu's sudden appearance, yes, it will be explained, fear not. Thanks!

Fallen-Snow: (--grin--) Two weeks! Yay! Better than two months, eh? Well I know this isn't FHHH, but I hope you'll forgive me anyway…pretty please? FHHH _will_ come sometime soon, I swear…

abracadabra8831: Y'know, you may be right. I know WWI was referred to as "the war to end all wars", but now that I think of it they may not have used that term for WWII. Oops…I should look that one up… Thanks!

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 16: A Hole in the Universe

The long lead-colored barrel of a shotgun glowed dully with reflected starlight in the moonless night, and Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat as he stared directly into it. Behind him Kagome stumbled against him, and he instinctively reached back a hand to keep her behind him, shielded from the weapons aimed at the pair of them. He wanted to run, to snatch her up and take to the trees, but his human form was incapable of such a feat, and once again he cursed his weakness. With the soldiers from the train fast approaching from behind, and the wall of Gestapo officers blockading them from the front, he knew the jig was up. This was it -- no escape.  
  
"You are both under arrest," the bearded, deceptively kindly-looking old man said with a coldness that seemed utterly out of place on his once pleasant face. "Come quietly and you may be treated with lenience." He was barely recognizable as the amiable hermit they had encountered in the woods, and although Inuyasha had heard of his deception from Sango and Miroku, he still had difficulty registering the change.  
  
Kagome on the other hand was utterly astonished by the revelation. "Oh my god, is that -- it can't be..." she whispered.  
  
A grave nod from Inuyasha confirmed her conclusion and she swallowed thickly, gripping his shoulder a bit more tightly. She felt him take a breath, preparing to respond, but before he had the chance he was interrupted by a number of soldiers from the train as they came tramping into the area like a herd of elephants, weapons brandished.  
  
"Halt! Don't make a move!" one of them shouted. Then, seeming to notice the line of black-clad officers standing opposite, the man continued, "What do you think you're doing -- these are our prisoners!"  
  
"Not anymore. We will be taking responsibility for their confinement from now on."  
  
"You cannot do that!" the grey-clad man said in outrage.  
  
"The Gestapo has been investigating these two for some time now; they are under our jurisdiction," Tieresias responded coolly, apparently attempting to placate the other officer. Inuyasha glanced to Kagome for translation, his German too rusty to follow the conversation word for word.  
  
"They're arguing over who gets us," she clarified in a whisper.  
  
"These two have assassinated several of our officers. We're under orders from Colonel Kouga himself to recapture them at any cost," the soldier stated firmly.  
  
"I'm afraid my orders take precedence," Tieresias countered. "I have instructions directly from the High Command to take these two into my custody. Unless you wish to defy the orders of Reichsfurer Himmler himself, I would suggest that you defer to my authority."  
  
Kagome could all but see the veins standing out at the officer's temples as he fixed Tieresias with a glare worthy of Inuyasha. With sharp, forced professionalism, the man ground out, "Of course not, Sir. Please forgive my indiscretion. I was not aware of the nature of your orders."  
  
"Wise decision," said the Gestapo officer. Then, presumably for Inuyasha's benefit, he switched back to English. "As I said before, I suggest that you come quietly." With a sharp motion of the hand directed at his men, two of the black-uniformed officers moved forward to secure Kagome's and Inuyasha's hands with cuffs of glinting steel. The next moment they found themselves being led firmly into the woods at a brisk pace, night shadows falling in the ever-widening distance between them and the train.  
  
-- -- --  
  
They continued for what seemed like hours, hardly a word being uttered all the while, except for the occasional clipped instruction from Tieresias. Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha as they walked, once more confused by his midnight-colored hair and altered features, but all at once distracted by the tenseness of his face muscles, betraying the anxiety he felt.  
  
"It's alright Inuyasha -- this isn't your fault. There was nothing you could do about it," she murmured, wanting nothing more than to soothe away his worry.  
  
"Feh," he grunted in response. But Kagome could still see the tautness in his eyes, his profile. Sighing, she gave up, and they lapsed into silence once more.  
  
At long last, in a particularly dense area of the forest, they came upon an earthen, wall-like structure in the ground, it's surface made of heavy limestone and soil that had been weathered away and eroded over time into a small sort of cliff above them. Here they stopped -- all except for Tieresias, who advanced to the rough rock face. The lack of moon and the shelter of the trees made it difficult for Kagome to make anything out, but eventually she heard a sort of grinding noise, followed by Tieresias's command that they follow him. Much to the surprise of both Inuyasha and Kagome, they were then led directly into the rock face, into a narrow earthen passageway that had somehow appeared in its surface.  
  
When they reached the end of the passageway the sound of clanging metal and creaking hinges, soon accompanied by a flood of light indicated a door being opened before them, and soon the lot of them were standing in a dank, concrete walled room that seemed to be some sort of underground bunker. It bore a certain resemblance to the maze of passageways that were buried beneath Kouga's villa, but this structure seemed significantly newer, if not much more hospitable. There were bare metal pipes running along the ceiling and metal tubes concealing the wires that connected the rather rustic and makeshift lighting to the switches and power sources that controlled it. The room had a yellowish tinge to it, due in part to the quality of the lighting, and also to the color of the whitewashed concrete that made up the walls and floor.  
  
Kagome glanced around, trying to get a sense for what exactly these men intended to do with them. She met Inuyasha's eyes, but saw in them only her own question reflected back at her. It was strange: usually by now they would have been led away, or at least secured somewhere, but ever since the door had been closed behind them the soldiers had begun to relax, almost, taking off gloves and hats and ruffling their hair as though just coming home from a long day at work.  
  
"What the hell is going--" Inuyasha broke off at the sound of another door opening, and the pair of them gaped in surprise as Miroku strolled in with a smile, Sango two steps behind him.  
  
Kagome's mouth dropped open in surprise, her eyebrows arching beneath her bangs. "Sango?"  
  
"Kagome -- thank god you're alright," the young woman said as she rushed forward to wrap her arms around her friend and give her a hug so tight it made it difficult for the ebony-haired woman to breathe. "Sango, what are you doing here? What's going on? I don't understand."  
  
"Yeah, what the hell is this -- some kind of joke or something?" Inuyasha demanded, temper creeping into his voice and a scowl contorting his features.  
  
"We're sorry we had to deceive you two like this, but it was the only way to ensure that your reactions would be convincing enough to pull it off," Miroku explained. "One small mistake, and not only would the two of you have been recaptured and most likely killed -- for real this time -- but Tieresias's position would have been compromised as well. And that was a risk we couldn't afford to take."  
  
"You mean _he's_ the one you send to rendezvous with us?!" Inuyasha growled, jerking his shoulder in the direction of the man in question, for his hands were still bound. "And you didn't tell me?! I'm gonna rip your fucking head off you bastard! Do you have any idea--"  
  
"Like I said, it was the only way," Miroku interrupted placating.  
  
"I don't give a shit!" Inuyasha snapped, moving as if to attack the brown-haired man despite the handcuffs, but Kagome, having been released from her bindings, as she did not seem to pose as much of a threat as the hanyou, put a hand on his shoulder to prevent him. He shot her a glare, but complied nonetheless.  
  
"What do you mean, 'compromise his position'?" Kagome inquired, trying desperately to sort through the myriad new questions that kept springing to mind. "I don't understand -- who is he exactly? And how--"  
  
"Look," Sango spoke up, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions for us and I know we have a lot of questions for you, but a lot's happened since we last saw each other. Let's get you two settled in, and then we'll meet in the board room for a debriefing, alright?"  
  
"Absolutely," Kagome agreed gratefully, and she let Sango lead her from the room, leaving Miroku to deal with Inuyasha. She followed the woman down a concrete hallway to a small, yet functional room that contained a cot with a clean pair of black slacks and a long-sleeved, olive-green shirt folded neatly upon it.  
  
"I'll come show you to the board room when it's time," Sango said as Kagome entered her chamber and sank wearily onto the bed, her muscles twingeing painfully in the aftermath of her hard won escape.  
  
"Perfect," she replied with a nod. "And Sango?"  
  
The other woman paused in closing the door. "Hm?"  
  
"Thanks for everything."  
  
Sango smiled ruefully back at her, the echoes of all-to-recent pain visible in her brown eyes. "What are friends for?"  
  
-- -- --  
  
Two hours later, Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Tieresias, and a good-looking man with dirty-blond hair whom Kagome did not recognize were sitting around an old wooden conference table in the so-called 'board room'. Despite the fancy title, the room was no more elegant than all the other spaces in the underground bunker they were currently occupying, though the lighting was somewhat better and the walls were all but covered with various maps and diagrams, a set of shelves in the corner practically overflowing with them. It was definitely a more livable, functional space than the first room they had entered.  
  
Once they had all settled themselves into their seats, the blond man got to his feet, the aura of authority he seemed to take with him as he rose presenting a sharp contrast to his appearance. He was of average height and build and looked to be in his mid-thirties, though the beginnings of creases in the corners of his eyes and between his eyebrows testified to the pondering of countless difficult decisions and tight situations. His dress was informal -- dark cargo pants, well worn in places and looking as though they had seen a few close scrapes, a simple white t-shirt, and a charcoal-grey jacket that was rumpled and threadbare at the edges. Yet somehow, despite his relaxed nature, it was clear that this man was a leader, and someone to whom they owed their respect.  
  
He ran a hand absently through his slightly mussed hair and began: "First of all, I want to introduce myself to Miss Higurashi,"  
  
Kagome nodded, "Kagome, please."  
  
"Right, Kagome. My name is Henri Picard -- I'm in charge of coordinating Resistance operations in this area. In other words, I've been your boss for the past year or so. You've probably gathered by now that this whole place is our little headquarters for the time being -- such as it is."  
  
"I figured something like that. Where are we exactly, if I might ask -- or is that information classified?"  
  
"Well," Henri replied, "It's classified, but under the circumstances we've decided to raise your clearance. You four have stumbled across something pretty big here, albeit from a very unlikely source. We never expected a man like Kouga to be involved in something quite so high profile -- but I'll get into that later.  
  
"First, to answer your question, this place is an underground bunker that our military was in the process of building just before the outbreak of the war. It was originally intended to be a subsection of the Maginot Line, but there was a change of plans as it was in the midst of being constructed and it ended up being abandoned. Luckily for us it doesn't appear on any of the later drafts of plans for the Line and the earlier ones were all destroyed when one of the government buildings caught fire in thirty-seven, so it's been basically forgotten. It's our very own little hole in the universe, virtually impossible to find."  
  
Kagome watched the man in fascination, wondering at the idea of there being such a place as this -- an island in a sea of destruction and oppression. And here was the man who had been behind every one of the operations they had ever performed, standing before her eyes. Part of her wanted to strangle him for what he had indirectly put her through, but the larger part was in awe, finally putting a face to the powers that had guided her life since the day she had joined the fight.  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha scoffed irritably. Apparently the past two hours had done little to improve his mood -- though Kagome also noticed a somewhat strange look in his eye as he glanced from her to Picard. She frowned slightly, unable to put her finger on what it was.  
  
"Enough of this bullshit," the hanyou continued. "I want to know what the hell happened here -- and what's the deal with this guy?" he said brusquely, indicating Tieresias.  
  
"We'll get to that eventually, Inuyasha," Sango said pointedly. "First let's bring Kagome up to speed."  
  
"Yeah -- how did you all manage to pull this thing off anyway?" Kagome questioned.  
  
"Why don't you start, Miroku," Henri suggested as he resumed his seat, settling in for a nice long chat.  
  
The brown-haired man gave an affirmative nod before turning to Kagome. "Here's what happened: After Inuyasha managed to escape Naraku he met us back at the cafe, and he passed on the news that you had been killed -- apparently Naraku had designed a plot to fake your execution."  
  
"But why would he go to the trouble of doing that?" she interrupted.  
  
"We think his purpose was to convince Inuyasha and Miroku and I that you were dead in order to discourage us from coming after you," Sango supplied. "Of course we didn't realize that at the time, so we packed up and left Asile as quickly as possible, since our cover had been blown."  
  
Miroku took over once more. "Fortunately I had some--" his eyes flicked over to Sango so briefly that Kagome wasn't even sure she had seen it, "--business to attend to before I could leave, so I sent the other two ahead while I went to tie up the lose ends. Just as I was headed out of the city, however, I saw you being ushered into a car outside Kouga's villa while another woman, who looked distinctly like you, watched from an upstairs window. That was just a little bit too much of a coincidence, so I quickly got in contact with one of the agents still in the village, and we looked into it a bit further, eventually deducing that you had been put on the train -- though why we still don't know. We were hoping you'd be able to tell us that."  
  
"Unfortunately I can't, except for the fact that I was supposedly acting as Kikyo's -- the woman in the window -- double. All they had me do was get escorted around and deliver a password at a couple of government buildings. I never got far enough in to see or hear anything of value though."  
  
"What was the password?" Henri questioned.  
  
"'Gestalt'," she answered. "But I doubt that will do us any good. They've surely changed it by now."  
  
The blond man shrugged in response, "Every little bit helps."  
  
"What about the rescue itself though?" Kagome asked, "And Inuyasha, what on earth has happened to your hair and eyes and everything?"  
  
The hanyou gave a wry laugh. "One of the joys of my heritage. One night every month my youkai blood recedes and I turn human -- hair, eyes, and all."  
  
"Oh..." she murmured in understanding. "But you've been at the cafe for more than a month -- how come I've never seen you like this before?"  
  
He quirked an eyebrow at her, and the muscle in his jaw twitched in slight agitation as he said pointedly, "Well you weren't around much in the evenings."  
  
The implication of his words came through loud and clear -- he was referring to the nights she had spent with Kouga. Struck oddly mute by his strange behavior, she merely nodded to show she understood, then turned back to Henri as he continued.  
  
"We got ahold of an old uniform and forged some I.D. papers for him so he could slip on board at your last stop -- after dark, of course," the blond man explained. "After that, you know the rest."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"Great--" Inuyasha said impatiently. "Now will somebody tell me what the hell this guy's story is?"  
  
"Gladly," answered Tieresias calmly, who, until now, had remained silent. "By now you must have gathered that I am indeed a double agent. It's my job to monitor the activities of the Gestapo and to divert their correspondence to the Resistance. The Gestapo on the other hand believe that I am their spy, positioned strategically in a low profile location, ideal for observing the movements of such men as Colonel Kouga and his troops. I use the mutual mistrust and competition among the organizations -- primarily Gestapo and Army -- to my advantage, playing them against each other in order to manipulate their activities.  
  
"That was how I managed to retrieve the two of you, as well as how I managed to keep Sango and Miroku from the eyes of the Nazis while they were staying with me -- until they discovered my Gestapo connections, that is. In reality, I had been using my position with the Gestapo to keep others from coming after them, claiming that I would extract their information from them myself. Unfortunately I miscalculated: I did not realize that Kouga was on the lookout for Inuyasha. Otherwise I would have found reason for the two of you to remain with me as well. Now, does that satisfy your curiosity, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Feh," the hanyou grunted in place of an affirmative.  
  
Tieresias smiled amusedly to himself. "Good."  
  
"So...what now?" Kagome asked, addressing the group at large, "Where do we go from here?"  
  
Henri took the initiative on that answer. "Look, it's late -- it's been a long day, and bound to get longer if we keep going like this. For now let's disband and turn in -- we'll discuss proceedings in the morning, alright? I need to go over a few of the details with Luc and Arnaud anyway, and you all look as though you're about to fall asleep in your chairs."  
  
"Hear hear," Miroku put in. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I, for one, am exhausted."  
  
"Very well then -- dismissed."  
  
-- -- --

A/N: I apologize if this chapter is a bit dull, but I had to get through this explanation stuff at some point – hope it wasn't too redundant. Let me know if it is, for sure.

Anyway, the next chapter should be a bit more interesting (I hope…if it turns out the way I want it to, that is). TTFN!


	17. Loved and Lost

Author's Note: Sooooo…long time no see…(--grin--)

Despite evidence to the contrary, neither I, nor this story are dead. True, it has been an unforgivably long time since I updated this (or much of anything else, for that matter), but at the moment my hope is to be able to finish this story by the time I leave for college (at the end of August). Anyway, there have been many many reasons why I haven't touched this one in so long (some better than others), including writer's block, being busy, shows, senioritis, graduation, college stuff and the like…but the bottom line is that it's here now, and (hopefully) shouldn't give me too much more trouble from here on out. As you might know if you've read my bio lately, I had to completely restructure the ending for various reasons, but I now think I have an outline that will actually work. Cheers all around!

Oh, and thanks to everyone who's reviewed even though I've been…well…MIA, so to speak (--grin-- couldn't help myself…). Your encouragement is much appreciated, I assure you. However, considering the length of time I've been gone (and the fact that I'm dead tired – it's 3 am), I'm not even going to attempt to do any sort of review replies right now – so if you have a question you want answered, ask it again. Sound good? Good.

Enjoy…

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 17: Loved and Lost

Kagome's knuckles hovered hesitantly over the surface of the door. She glanced up and down the hallway apprehensively, as though afraid to be witnessed making such a daring move, though in reality she knew she was merely stalling. It was imperative that they have this conversation eventually, but nonetheless a part of her was downright terrified of what it would entail.

Gathering her strength of will, she rapped sharply upon the metal surface, forcing herself to remain firmly planted, resisting the urge to run.

"Who's there?" Inuyasha's voice drifted out from inside the room.

"Kagome," she answered. "Mind if I come in? I really need to talk to you."

There was a brief pause, during which the woman couldn't help but wonder what he might be thinking, and then he replied with a simple, "Sure."

She turned the handle silently and slipped in the door, closing it soundlessly behind her before turning to face the hanyou. Immediately she was struck with a very vivid sense of deja vu as her eyes fell upon him where he lounged on the cot against the wall in his usual cargo pants and white t-shirt, one knee bent with the sole of his foot resting against the surface of the bed, the other leg stretched out lazily in front of him. It took her a moment to register that his features had returned to their normal state, indicating that the sun must have risen – though the lack of windows in the complex made it impossible to check. All in all the picture was remarkably similar to that which had confronted her when she had gone to speak to him in his cell back at Kouga's villa – had that truly been less than a week ago? It seemed much longer.

However, unlike the last time, Inuyasha did not meet her gaze with an expression of hatred, but rather avoided her eyes altogether, seemingly engrossed in reading the small, faded greenish book he had propped against his knee. There was only one problem – his eyes weren't focused on the page.

"Inuyasha?" she murmured, trying to get his attention.

"Hm," he grunted in response, refusing to look up.

"Inuyasha, we really need to talk."

"'Bout what?" he questioned casually, trying to sound as though he was only half listening – but the perk of his snow white puppy ears said otherwise. He was hanging on her every word.

"Inuyasha, for god's sake, will you put the damn book down and pay attention to me?" Kagome burst out, her anxiety and frustration overcoming her and causing the hanyou to look up in surprise, his detached facade forgotten. "I know you're not reading it – and this is important."

He narrowed golden eyes curiously, brow lowering into a mild frown, but he tossed the book aside and rolled to his feet, standing about five feet in front of her with arms crossed over his chest. "Fine – what'd you want to talk about?"

Kagome gave a hesitant sigh before saying quietly, "Us."

He cocked his head to the side, and she could see a slightly guarded look come into his expression. "What about us?"

"Well – I'm not exactly sure," she admitted. "I've been trying to figure this out on my own, but the more I think about it the more confusing it becomes – and I think that's because I can only see my side of this whole thing. What I'm saying is – what are we, exactly? What is this...this _thing_ between us."

"What 'thing'?"

"This! You and I!" He seemed to have slipped into uncooperative mode, and that was definitely not what she needed from him at the moment. This was difficult enough for her to begin with, without his making it just that much more excruciating. Placing a hand to her temple in an effort to relieve the tension building there, Kagome took a calming breath and attempted to clarify: "You and I have been together for over a month now – with certain brief exceptions – and it's clear that there's _something_ going on here between us – but what is it? Is this all just because of what's going on around us, or is there something more?"

"I still don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Inuyasha said stubbornly, though the irritation in his tone testified to the contrary.

"Yes you do – will you please stop being so difficult and at least _try_ to have a serious conversation here?" she insisted.

"Fine, I give – what do you want me to say?"

"Just answer the question!"

"What question?"

"What am I to you? What are we to one another!"

"Shit," Inuyasha growled, dragging a hand through his silver locks. "How should I know, dammit? You make it sound like it's just a matter of us talking things out and coming to some kind of agreement – but it's not that simple, Kagome. These things never are."

"Why can't they be, then? What is it that's so complicated that we couldn't even discuss it?"

"A lot of things, alright?" he replied irritably. "Look let's just keep things as simple as possible between us—"

"Simple? You just said they couldn't be simple."

"Well then I—fuck it, I'm not in the mood to argue with you over semantics, and I'm sure as _hell _not in the mood to go picking through every single damn thing we've been through so far just to come back to the exact same conclusion we could reach very easily right now."

"And what's that?"

"That there can't _be_ anything between us! It just wouldn't work."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because you've got your responsibilities and I've got mine – and besides, there's too much other shit in the way." He turned away a clear sign that he felt the conversation was over, that there was nothing left to be said.

Kagome, on the other hand, felt there was a great deal left to be said. "You know what you are? You're afraid, that's what. Afraid of what might happen – afraid of giving a shit about someone other than yourself."

"Me? Like hell – I'm just being realistic. You're the one who keeps trying to make something out of nothing."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means—it means you're fighting a losing battle, that's what. Now lemme alone."

Kagome, deciding perhaps it would be better just to cut to the chase, took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "I care about you Inuyasha."

The words hung on the air like a mist, unable to either rise into oblivion or fall like a blanket to the floor. His golden eyes met hers somewhat reluctantly over his shoulder, and she tried without success to read the strangely dark expression on his face.

"Don't," he replied in a low voice. "Don't care about me, Kagome – it'll only make this whole thing a hell of a lot harder in the end."

"Don't you think I know that?" she replied in exasperation. "It's not something I can control; there's no switch I can flip to just turn off whatever feelings I have for you – and don't you dare try to act as though you couldn't care less about me, because I know that's not true."

"Dammit, Kagome, of course I care – but that's not the point—"

"Yes it is!"

"No it isn't! Fuck – there just can't be any future for us, so what's the point in discussing something when we're just going to have to go back to ignoring it again afterward. Let's just keep it simple."

"Simple, simple -- you keep saying that word, 'simple.' Well I've got news for you – it's _not_ simple, Inuyasha, and you can try all you like, but it's never going to _be_ simple. Ignoring it won't solve the problem."

"There _is _no solution!"

"How do you know if you never even try!"

"Try what?" he snorted disdainfully.

"Try _talking_ to me…"

Another silence fell as Inuyasha turned away with a growl of frustration, beginning to pace restlessly back and forth in the tiny room, like a caged tiger searching for an exit, but uncertain where he would run to if he should ever find one.

"Fine," he spat at last, turning back to her angrily, "You wanna talk? We'll talk. Why the hell didn't you kill Kouga when you had the chance, bitch?" The hanyou's eyes flashed fiercely with some savage emotion that Kagome couldn't quite identify – though she vaguely registered that it had been present almost constantly ever since he'd discovered her deception, however muted it had become until now. Almost immediately he turned his back to her and took a couple of steps away, almost as though trying to close her out, to take back what he'd said.

"Is that what this is about? Is that why you've been so particularly surly ever since we got here?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes – I mean...no—"

"Well which one is it, yes or no!"

"Dammit, I don't know – you tell me!" He released a growl of frustration. "Just answer the goddamn question!"

Kagome glared at him for a moment before lowering her eyes to her hands, which had unconsciously knotted themselves together as she tried to come up with a coherent answer. "I couldn't," she said at last, her voice quiet and small.

"Why not?" the hanyou demanded harshly. "You had no trouble killing the others."

When she failed to answer, he spoke again. "Why couldn't you kill him?" The question, uttered softly, yet with the weight of words that held more intent than was overtly expressed, took her by surprise. They fell heavily into the silence that followed, like a stone sinking beneath the surface of a pond.

It occurred suddenly to her that the accusory note in his tone sounded suspiciously like jealousy, and her eyes locked with his fiery gold ones, narrowing incredulously. "Are you...jealous?"

"No," he snapped, a little too quickly. But even so, she sensed that there was more to his behavior than simple, petty jealousy. "Just answer the question, Kagome. You were the one who wanted to talk – so talk."

She took a breath, still trying to make sense of his cryptic remarks. "I just couldn't do it, that's all."

"Why not?" he pressed, his voice still low and unrevealing, unusually calm.

"Because..." He'd backed her into a corner; she didn't want to have to answer, wasn't certain she could put it into words without having him misunderstand, but she had no choice. This had been her idea after all. "Because I didn't know the others the way I know Kouga. As much as I hated him he was still the first man I ever—that I was ever 'with'. All I know is that when it came right down to it I couldn't seem to make myself pull the trigger."

"Are you sure that's all there is?" he asked, his tone skeptical.

She hesitated only slightly before saying, "Yes," but it seemed that that slight hesitation was enough to confirm his suspicions.

"Well I'm not," he said simply.

The stillness and silence in the room seemed to crackle with intensity as the weight of his words began to sink in. Watching the hanyou through speculative eyes, Kagome felt her original agenda beginning to slip away, only to be replaced by something larger and perhaps more to the point. "Inuyasha," she began, "What's really going on here?"

"What d'you mean," he questioned guardedly.

Her reply came in the same even tone as before. "You know what I mean. This isn't really about Kouga at all, is it? So let's just put all those other petty details aside for a moment – what is it that's really bothering you?"

He gave a short, dry chuckle. "You really want to know?"

Kagome nodded. "Very much, yes."

The game had been called, and all the chips were in – no more bluffing. "Then I'll tell you: It's Kikyo."

The young woman frowned at that. "What do you mean?"

A wan and slightly guilty smile curved his lips briefly as he continued. "I probably should have told you this awhile ago, but I didn't want to remember it myself. See, I knew Kikyo back in London. She and I were more or less…engaged…"

"More or less?" she questioned curiously, arching an eyebrow.

"I was more – she was less. I didn't know it at the time, but apparently she'd been leading me around by the nose the whole time."

"I see…"

"Apparently…she was using me – for information. In other words—"

"You were her source," Kagome finished, at last beginning to realize the true nature of the bizarre little corner she had painted herself into. "Just like—"

"Kouga was for you," he finished back, confirming her suspicions.

He gave her a chance to mull over this new information for a moment before continuing. "Now do you get it? I mean, it's bad enough to get taken in by one woman – but I'd have to be a complete idiot to knowingly walk into the same trap a second time, wouldn't I…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked sharply.

"It means that you and Kikyo are cut from the same cloth," he replied, irritation beginning to bubble beneath the surface once more. "And it isn't as if you've exactly had a problem lying to me so far, is it?"

"How dare you," she snapped. "How dare you stand there and accuse me of lying—"

"Well you did, didn't you!"

"So did you, you half-baked hypocrite! Or did that tiny detail slip your warped little mind?"

"That was different!"

"Was it!" she countered, righteous anger roiling itself to the surface.

"Yes! I was trying to protect you."

"Well so was I," she argued stubbornly. "I told you before that I was sorry – I should have told you the truth earlier, but I couldn't. If it had just been a matter of my own life being on the line I might have risked it, but if others had been hurt because I couldn't stop myself from confessing the truth to you, I could never have forgiven myself. You're just angry because of how you found out—"

"Yeah, I am. Because how am I supposed to know that any of that is true? If you hadn't walked into that jail cell with the wolf, I would never have had any idea what was really going on, and you would still be living your cushy little life in his bed. How do I know you're not still working for him? How do I know this isn't just some sort of clever rouse?"

"Inuyasha, that's ridiculous – you're being paranoid—"

"I have a right to be!" he shouted, prompting her to shrink back a step. "I can't trust you, Kagome. I can't let myself trust you."

A silence fell between them as both regarded each other, neither one certain of what to say next. Kagome's eyes perused the hard lines of his face, and all at once she began to feel an overwhelming tiredness creep through her veins. "Maybe you're right," she breathed at last, her head shaking slightly in capitulation, "Maybe this just isn't worth it after all…"

Inuyasha said nothing.

"I'll see you at the briefing, Inuyasha – and after that, maybe it would be best if we went our separate ways." And with that, she turned her back on him and left the room without sparing him so much as a second glance.

* * *

Inuyasha was barely listening to the conversation going on around him as the various Resistance agents discussed the present plan. He knew he should probably be paying attention, since some of it involved him – but he had a copy of the overview in front of him, so he'd be able to catch up later.

Instead, he was watching Kagome. She hadn't so much as looked at him since leaving his quarters after their argument that morning. He couldn't really blame her – in retrospect, he'd said some really awful things to her, and although he'd been sure he'd meant them at the time…he wasn't so sure they'd been entirely true overall. She was right – he was being paranoid. And ridiculous. And a jerk.

But he was certain he'd been right about one thing: In the long run, they didn't have a prayer. These things just didn't work that way.

After all, from what he'd managed to glean from this briefing, he'd be returning to England soon, resuming his post in the armed forces, and she would, of course, be staying here to continue the fight on their end. He knew from experience that long-distance relationships didn't work too well – especially when there was a war going on in between. Besides, as he'd said, they each had their own responsibilities – what were they supposed to do, write letters? To be addressed to where, exactly – the Secret Underground Resistance Bunker in the Middle of Some Random Woods? He realized, with an ironic sort of inward chuckle, that he didn't even know her last name.

But despite his attempt at rationalization, he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

_What is this thing between us?_ Her question echoed in his mind.

_Nothing,_ he answered himself. _It can't be anything, so it's nothing…_

Then a memory of a long-ago conversation with another dark-haired young woman came to the surface.

"_What are you afraid of, Inuyasha?" she murmured in her silky smooth voice, nuzzling his bare shoulder affectionately, her arm draped across his middle with her finger tracing unknown patterns on his chest._

"_What do you mean?" he answered eyes closed._

"_I mean, what scares you? Everyone has something that they're afraid of…"_

_His first instinct was to scoff and answer that he wasn't afraid of anything, thank you very much, but for some reason he didn't feel like bothering. Without ever really deciding to, he found himself giving an honest answer: "Losing."_

_He could feel the smile curving against his skin. "Losing what?"_

"_Anything…everything…" he replied. "I can't stand to lose – a battle, a game, myself…someone close to me. Anything."_

"_I see," she breathed._

"_What about you, Kikyo? What are you afraid of?"_

"_Me?" she repeated. "I'm afraid of being found…"_

He'd never entirely been able to figure out what she'd meant by that – she'd thwarted all of his attempts to get her to clarify. Now that he thought back on it, he wondered if perhaps she had meant that she was afraid of being caught – it would have made sense, after all, traitor that she was. But then again, perhaps not.

Maybe Kagome was right – maybe he was afraid.

"_All right, Inuyasha," she said as though speaking to a temperamental child, "lets get those bandages off and I'll let you get out of bed." He raised his eyebrows at that as he moved to sit up.  
_

"_Finally," he growled, and she sent him a small glare, but let it pass as she took a seat beside the bed.  
_

_He tried very hard not to recoil when her hands brushed once again over the flesh of his chest. In the past few days it had happened countless times when she went to change his bandages, but somehow he never really could get used to it._

It seemed like a long time ago, the weeks he'd spent in Asile with her.

_"But unlike you, Kikyo, Kagome did what she did because she had to, not because she gets some sort of sick, twisted pleasure out of it! She's fighting for a cause she believes in-"  
_

_"As am I," she said firmly, causing him to fall silent. "And for the other, are you so certain of her motives as that? Are you so certain of mine? She has already proven to be something other than what she appears to be; you would do well in the future to remember that she is quite capable of deceiving you, even as I did."_

Was it true? At first he'd tried not to believe it – then a part of him had almost clung to the notion, looking for something to blame her for in order to distance himself. But what was the truth?

_"You've caught him! Oh how wonderful for you, darling! Now you can finally get some rest," Kagome chided Kouga sweetly, sounding quite unlike the woman Inuyasha had come to know -- and that only angered him further. She traced little figure eights on the man's chest affectionately and the hanyou had to suppress a growl. "I worry about you so when you get over-stressed."_

That wasn't her.

_Kikyo's eyes flooded with a happiness greater than he had ever seen her express, lips curved in a glowing smile. "I thought you'd never ask," she whispered, "Of course I'll wait...I'll wait for you forever. I love you, Inuyasha."_

Nor was that Kikyo. So what was real? What _felt_ real?

"_I care about you Inuyasha…"_

"Very well then – it's settled," Henri's voice finally penetrated the cloud of thought that Inuyasha had been lost in. "Inuyasha, you leave at 0700 tomorrow morning. Meeting adjourned."

There was a scraping of chairs as everyone got to their feet and filed out of the room. As Kagome disappeared through the doorway without sparing a glance in his direction, he thought, _Well…I guess that's that then, isn't it._

* * *

Kagome returned to her quarters early that evening. She'd gone with Sango to the makeshift mess hall that had been set up in one of the larger rooms in the complex, but she hadn't really felt much like eating. Before long, she'd decided to throw in the towel and turn in early.

She un-tucked the button-down army-green shirt she'd been wearing – there wasn't much to chose from around here, mostly forgotten supplies and such from when the place had been intended as a military establishment – and undid the buttons one by one, leaving her in a white undershirt and men's cargo pants that were slightly too big on her so that they rode low on her hips. She slipped off her shoes and socks as well, and then reached up to remove the pins that had held her hair in place, keeping it up and out of the way during the day. Gazing dully at her reflection in an old cracked mirror that hung on the wall, she ran her fingers through her long dark tresses, smoothing out the tangles and trying not to cry.

What did she have to cry about anyway? She'd been through worse than this, and she'd survived. After all, she barely knew the man. As she'd said herself, perhaps it was best that they go their separate ways. He was right – it wasn't as if they'd ever had a chance of anything lasting, anyway. She'd known that from the beginning.

Then why did she still feel as though she was dying inside?

There was a soft knock on the door, and Kagome drew in a breath in surprise. Hastily wiping away the tears that she hadn't even noticed falling, she quickly pulled herself together and went to answer it.

It was Sango.

"Oh, it's you," she said, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice as she tried not to think about whom she'd hoped to see.

Sango smiled wanly – she knew exactly whom Kagome had expected. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine Sango, really. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Maybe later, but I think I just need to get some rest right now. I didn't sleep a wink last night."

"Alright, if you're sure. But if you change your mind, I'm always here."

Kagome smiled somewhat half-heartedly back at her friend's sympathetic expression. "I know."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She shut the door quietly as Sango turned away, leaning back against it and closing her eyes.

Had she honestly thought it would be him? He'd made it perfectly clear that he had no desire to see her right now – or at least, if he did desire to see her, he wouldn't let himself.

She felt more than heard the knock at the door pressed against her back.

With a sigh she opened it. "Sango really, I—"

But the golden eyes that looked back at her were not Sango's.

"Inuyasha?" she murmured.

"I came to apologize," he said quietly, and she couldn't suppress a raise of the eyebrow at this uncharacteristic course of action.

"For what?" she questioned curiously.

"For…everything. But most of all, for what I said to you this morning."

"Which part?"

"The part about—about not trusting you, mainly, though I'm sorry for all the rest of it as well. The truth is I was being a jackass. I was trying to make this easier, I guess, and I just ended up hurting both of us."

Kagome nodded her understanding, still searching his expression for whatever else it was he was trying to say. "Go on," she prompted.

He gave a sort of nervously bemused chuckle. "Well this isn't exactly easy for me, see."

She smiled slightly back at him. "The most important things never are, are they."

"No, I guess they aren't," he agreed. "Look, I've had a lot of time to think – in fact I haven't been doing much else since you left my quarters this morning – and the thing is, I shouldn't have said what I did about you and Kikyo. Whatever similarities there may be between your relationship with Kouga and her relationship with me, you're not the same person – I know that now. Took me awhile to realize it, but there it is. And I guess the biggest difference of all is sort of the most arbitrary one: You're on my side. She wasn't."

"You finally realized that, did you?" she jibed.

"Yeah, I did."

"Okay," Kagome said after a pause, "Is there…is there more?"

He swallowed, preparing himself to pass the final and most difficult hurdle. "Yeah."

Her eyebrows drew together in mild puzzlement as she observed his apprehension. "Well?"

He released a breath – now or never. "You were right. I—I was afraid. I tried not to let it happen, because I figured that if I never let myself love you, it wouldn't hurt so much to let you go – but I was wrong. Turns out it hurts even more to miss something you never had than it does to miss something you've left behind."

She gazed back at him in mingled confusion and surprise. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm in love with you Kagome. And even though I know it can't last…I can't keep pretending that I don't."

She didn't know what to say. She merely stood there staring, as though deprived of the power of speech.

"I just needed you to know the truth, since it's unlikely that we'll ever see each other again after tom—"

His words were silenced beneath her lips as she wound her arms tightly around his neck and conveyed her response as best she could without words. "I love you too," she whispered at last. "God help me, I love you so much…"

He trailed gentle yet increasingly yearning kisses down her jaw and along her neck.

"Please don't go," she breathed into his silver hair. "Stay with me – I don't want to lose you again."

"I can't stay," he replied.

"Then I'll go with you."

"No," he said, pausing at last in his attentions at the base of her throat and looking her in the eye, his hands on either side of her face. "It doesn't work that way, and you know it. We don't have a choice about this – it's too important. You said yourself, there are more lives at stake than just ours."

She nodded sadly in response, her hand gripping his arm as though to keep him there. After all, he was only telling her what she already knew. Still, it would have been nice to be able to hope. "Then stay with me tonight," she murmured.

She didn't need to ask him twice.

Before long they were lost in a sea of each other, forgetting anything and everything that existed outside that room – all that had come before, and all that would come after. Nothing else mattered, because for that one night, in that one room, they were in love, they were together, and all was right with the world. They fell asleep in a tangle of limbs on Kagome's tiny little cot, and dreamt a lifetime of happily ever after.

When Kagome awoke, Inuyasha was gone.

* * *

A/N: You'll have to forgive me any errors and/or choppiness that may exist in this chapter. Not only was half of it written almost a year ago, but to tell you the truth, I've read it/thought about it so much in that period that I just couldn't bring myself to read it with a truly objective eye yet again. Anyway, you be the judge.

Also, to let you in on another little secret, I have serious issues with this fic. Having gone back and read the whole thing through all over again recently (I'd forgotten a lot of important details), I now have a much better idea of the flaws in my approach to the whole thing. In fact, I have a document on my computer that's all just one big long stream-of-consciousness rant about the things I did wrong with this story (serious lack of research being high up on the list, among other things such as character development – like what the hell happened to Kag's family, anyway? Why doesn't she care where they are?). However, despite its flaws, I still have a great deal of affection for this fic – it was, after all, only my second attempt at one – and I very much need to have closure on it. So anyway, long story short, I've decided to stop taking myself so seriously for the time being and simply let this story be what it is – no more, no less. So there.

In other words, it _will_ be finished.


	18. Coming Home

Author's Note: So, yeah – this chapter has been mostly done for awhile, but unfortunately I've been a bit bogged down by life lately, so it kept getting put off. Sorry! But it's here now. Voila…

To any history buffs who may be reading, I apologize in advance for any and all anachronisms and/or incongruities that may appear in this and all other chapters. The thing is, I'm just barely going to manage to finish this story as it is (swamped as I am by actual schoolwork and classes these days – I've just started college, and I recently moved from the Midwest to Manhattan, so that's a whole other bundle of stress), and I really don't have time to do the research necessary to get everything right. I'll do my best to keep things as true to life as possible from here on out, but be warned, I will _definitely_ make guesses, and therefore make mistakes. But it's the difference between this story getting finished or getting put in a drawer until I have the time, energy, and motivation to go back and overhaul the entire thing (to fix all the earlier mistakes), and then finish it. In other words, it's pretty much the difference between it getting finished and not getting finished.

Oh, and in case you're interested, I posted a new oneshot the other day. It's called "Good Dog," and in my _personal_ opinion, it's some of my best work (as oneshots go, at least). Go on, give it a try – you know you want to…

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 18: Coming Home

Henri took another sip of lukewarm tea – which was really little more than water with a few herbs mixed in, since things like tea and coffee were hard to come by these days – and shuffled the papers on the table before him, reviewing the information they'd gathered from various sources and compiled onto these maps. Finally the puzzle was beginning to make sense – and he'd sent word of Naraku's apparent plans back to the Allied High Command in London with Inuyasha, for the information was too sensitive to be transmitted in any other manner. He was due to rendezvous with an American unit within the next couple of days, and they would see him safely back to Britain, if everything proceeded as planned. With any luck they would know for sure that he had made it by the end of the week.

He settled back in his chair, releasing a sigh that seemed to him to belong to a much older man. It was difficult to imagine that it had only been four years since the beginning of the occupation – four years since he had last seen Christine and their daughters, Bernice and Lisette. He supposed he would hardly recognize them now. Bernice, the older, must be at least twelve, which would make Lisette eight. Eight years old – she'd been barely four when she and her mother and sister had boarded that ship bound for England, just before Paris fell. He had planned to join them just as soon as he could, but once the Germans had taken over the north and the Vichy had control of the south, the piers were closed and he had been trapped. For awhile he had continued to entertain the possibility of slipping out – perhaps traveling southward and smuggling himself out through Casablanca or one of the other French North African ports – but before long it became clear to him that that was not an option. He couldn't turn his back on the land of his birth, not as long as there was anything he could do to help. Soon after he joined the Resistance, and quickly ascended to a position of leadership.

Did they remember him? He prayed that they did. Bernice must at least, for she'd been eight when they'd left, and smart as a whip. She was quite a precocious child, impertinent even at times, but good-hearted. He remembered watching her play in the churchyard with the other children, her hair in two tight braids behind her ears, her skirt rumpled and dirty at the edge as she confidently explained what she perceived to be the workings of the world to the others – since, of course, she knew everything there was to know about everything.

Lisette on the other hand had been just the opposite of her sister – quiet and inclined to move at a much slower, more measured pace. She'd been intelligent as well, for she'd learned to speak at a very young age, but she chose her words carefully and used them sparingly. She'd been a very affectionate child, always willing to be held and comforted, and she'd always had a talent for getting right to the heart of the matter without really realizing that she'd done so, in a way that only a child's innocence can.

Henri retrieved a cigarette from the box on his desk and brought it numbly to his lips with slightly trembling fingers. Striking a match, he lit the end and inhaled just enough to help it to catch, then taking a deep draw as he shook out the match. He could feel the smoke filling his lungs, feel it seep into his bloodstream and collect in the creases that had begun to form in his forehead and around his eyes. _Christine_, he thought, the name slipping silently out of him on a trail of smoke. He could almost see her face swimming before his very eyes in the haze that was collecting on the air. _I know I promised that I would follow you,_ he told her, as he had on countless occasions before now, _I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep that promise…_

_We'll be together again someday…in Heaven, at least, if not here on earth…_

* * *

Once again, Inuyasha found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"Identify yourself," a voice demanded in American English, and for a moment he was thrown off by how strange it sounded to hear his mother tongue spoken once more in the accent of his homeland. Between living in London and being lost in Occupied France, he'd gotten used to hearing it with a European slant of one kind or another.

Soon he realized that the voice was still waiting for an answer, so he snapped himself back to reality and obliged. "Lieutenant Inuyasha Montague of the U.S. Air Force," he replied. "Who're you?"

"Private Joe Ryan," the man answered, lowering the gun to a resting position. "The Commander's been expecting you – come on." And with that, the man set off through the trees in the opposite direction at a brisk pace, leaving Inuyasha to follow.

_Geeze, I've been walking for a day and a half – can't I get a break?_ he thought to himself, but didn't bother to protest. He'd just as soon get into camp and away from this rather jumpy and over-eager private anyway – he supposed the guy was probably a newbie, which was why he'd been given a crappy job like scout duty. Though from the looks of things, the guy could have used a bit more training – he hadn't even bothered to ask for any sort of identification. Hell, Inuyasha wasn't even wearing a uniform – all he had was a name.

Before long, Inuyasha found himself in a makeshift little camp, not much more than a collection of soldiers who happened to be occupying the same space. The private led him across the clearing to where a small cluster of important-looking men were huddled around a set of maps, conversing seriously.

"Commander Hawkins – this is Lt. Montague," Ryan announced, and a man with a rather craggy, angular face glanced up.

"Good, you're here," the man said, nodding to the other men to indicate that they should continue without him before stepping away, grabbing a water jug off a nearby stump and taking a quick swig. "There isn't much time – you'll be flying out with the supply plane. Jenkins!"

Another man, headed off in the direction of the forest, paused and looked over at the Commander expectantly. "Here's your cargo," Hawkins explained, indicating Inuyasha, and the smallish man with round, wire-rimmed glasses smiled briefly and nodded in understanding.

"Great – let's get going."

And thus Inuyasha, feeling somewhat like a hot potato at this point, found himself following the other man into the woods. As they walked he realized that he had rather forgotten the pace of the army. In fact, even in the Air Force things hadn't been quite so brisk – sure they'd had to be fast at times, and flying itself was all about speed, but the general demeanor of the Air Force had always seemed much more laid back. They saw themselves as the cowboys of the armed forces, and they acted like it. And especially having basically been a Resistance agent for the past couple of months, the regimentation and definition of the army chain of command was a bit startling. All of a sudden he was back above ground, part of the overt war rather than the covert one.

Soon they reached an open field, at the nearest edge of which was parked a medium sized plane – larger than the type he had flown, but with minimal weaponry, apparently built to hold cargo rather than for air strikes.

"They supply troops by personal air delivery now?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"You've been out of the game for awhile, haven't you," the man replied with a swift grin. "Luftwaffe forces are running thin – they're being redistributed, and they've left a gap up in this area. And what with all the submarine activity these days, it's really the only way."

"But what happened to parachuting supplies down?"

"That wouldn't be very useful for getting you back to London now would it?"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "This is because of me?"

"Your safety is top priority at the moment – I was part of a convoy, but they had me land here to pick you up, and I brought supplies in on the way. We're rejoining the convoy on its way back out. That's why we've got to hurry."

"Right," Inuyasha replied, still trying to get his mind around the idea. A plane landing in enemy territory just for him? It was beginning to look like this mission was more important than he had first anticipated.

Inuyasha climbed into the cargo hold and strapped himself into one of the flip-down emergency seats mounted along the wall. Before long he heard the roar of the engine coming to life, felt the pull of gravity as they gathered speed, and at last they were airborne.

There were few things in the world that he loved as much as flying. Of course, it was infinitely better when he himself was at the helm, but after spending so long with his feet planted firmly on the ground, he wasn't complaining. It felt good to be above the clouds again, regardless of who was doing the driving.

All at once a memory surfaced in his mind – rough stone, carved with a picture of an airplane sailing through the sky. It had been just after they'd taken her away, and after he'd realized that screaming for her would get him nowhere. Of course, inevitably, that memory of her led to another – this one much more recent.

"_I've never flown in an airplane," she said quietly, breaking the silence, her breath warm against his bare chest._

"_Hm?" he murmured, his eyes still closed as he simply reveled in the nearness of her._

"_In fact I've never even left France, come to think of it," she continued, almost as if to herself. "I've lived in Asile all my life – it's the only home I've ever known, and for a long time it seemed it was the only home I would ever need. I don't know exactly when that changed, but somehow it did. Now one of my homes is being destroyed slowly from the inside out, and the other…is leaving me in just a few short hours…" Her gentle voice trailed off into the darkness, and she pressed a kiss to his abdomen, lingering a bit as though to savor the moment._

_He felt her weight shift as she moved up so that her face was level with his, her knuckles grazing his cheek ever so slightly, and he could just barely see her eyes reflecting the dim light that seeped into the room beneath the door. "I'll take you someday," he said softly, lifting his free hand and lacing his fingers with hers. "You and I, we'll go flying one day together. It's like nothing else in the world – you'll see."_

"_I'd like that," she whispered, and her lips met his softly, gently, lovingly, and they savored each other's company once more. It didn't matter that it was an empty promise – for they both knew that it was, of course – because as long as they were together right now, anything could happen. Hitler could surrender, the war could end, the world could right itself – they could be free. They could go flying._

It was hard to believe that it was over – that the memories he had of her would be all that remained for him, and that before long he would see the past few months as no more than an interlude between the two halves of his life. It was difficult merely to get his mind around the idea – and Inuyasha preferred not to do things that were difficult in that manner. So he did the only thing he could – he put it out of his mind.

Instead he concentrated on the soothing hum of the airplane, the dual feelings of incredible speed and absolute stillness taking turns filling his awareness.

It was a relatively uneventful flight, especially under the circumstances. Apparently Jenkins hadn't been kidding about that gap in German air coverage. Maybe the Axis was in worse shape than Inuyasha had thought – after all, they hadn't shown any signs of weakness or panic back in Asile. But then again, Asile wasn't where the fighting was, and as far as he knew, the German High Command wasn't exactly in the habit of delivering accurate reports of their situation to all of their followers without consideration for the consequences. Theirs was a regime built on propaganda and boosted confidence, and "Holy shit, they're beating the crap out of us…" wasn't really the sort of message that would inspire loyalty and solidarity.

Before long, or so it seemed to Inuyasha, he could feel the craft beginning to decrease its altitude, gradually sinking down beneath the clouds and at last sailing in toward the runway. There were a few light bumps, a bit of swaying from side to side before the plane finally found its feet on the ground – but all in all, it was considerably smoother than Inuyasha's last landing had been.

When he finally disembarked from the aircraft, setting foot on the tarmac of the London Allied air base for the first time in what seemed like forever, he was utterly surprised to see a small group of finely pressed young officers standing at attention beside the plane. It wasn't until one of them approached him, addressing him formally as "Sir," and instructed him to follow, that he realized that they had been sent to escort him back to Headquarters. He wasn't used to this kind of formality, and he especially wasn't used to having it directed at him. It felt as though he'd spent six months floating in a life-raft on the ocean, and was only now experiencing the shock of solid ground beneath his feet – everything still felt slightly off-balance somehow, like it was too safe, too secure, too calm. He caught himself watching the shadows for signs of something sinister, feeling strange simply strolling about in broad daylight without worrying that there might be a German scout standing just around the bend or an officer watching him from the window. The security of the whole situation simply felt unnatural and irrationally impossible.

He was ushered into a black sedan – an officer's vehicle – and soon they were trundling through the streets of London, avoiding the areas that had been most damaged in the bombings a couple of years back, which they had not been able to make much progress on rebuilding, the country's resources still tied up in the ongoing war. The Headquarters looked much as he had remembered it, though he had only ever visited the building once or twice, his responsibilities largely confined to the air base itself. The building was an imposing combination of Georgian and classical styles, a large, brick structure with a stone façade meant to evoke the stately beauty of the ancient Greek and Roman halls and temples. As he was led up the front steps and into the lobby, he took in the dark, weathered wood-paneled walls and scuffed floor. The man escorting him paused briefly to confirm his identity with the receptionist, who sat behind a boxy wooden desk in the middle of the hall, and then they were off again, ascending two flights of steps and proceeding down a hall that was decorated in a similar manner to the entryway, with dark wood covering the floor and the walls half way up, and the upper half of the walls painted a bluish-gray that made Inuyasha think of a county kitchen. The paint was chipping a bit at the edges, and every so often there was a pronounced crack visible in the wall itself, a testament to the age of the building.

The floorboards groaned jadedly beneath their feet, until finally they came to a stop in front of a closed wooden door, and the young officer rapped sharply upon it with his knuckles. Inuyasha noticed with a start that he was holding his breath. Despite the lack of identification of any kind upon the door, he was absolutely positive of who must be behind it.

"You may enter," a familiar cool and quiet, yet perfectly clear voice answered.

Yup.

Crap.

The officer opened the door and stood aside to allow Inuyasha to pass, which the hanyou did with some reluctance. There, sitting behind a large desk covered in neat stacks of official-looking papers, as well as several fountain pens and other measurement and writing implements, sat Inuyasha's older brother, the Great General Sesshoumaru Montague.

With the slightest of gestures, the General indicated the chair opposite his, and Inuyasha took a seat, hearing the door shut behind him with a snap. He distracted himself with glancing around the office – which was relatively small, considering the man's rank, and papered floor to ceiling with complicated maps detailing troop movements, terrain, climate, strategic locations, and anything else imaginable – determinedly avoiding his brother's penetrating stare. He hated it when Sesshoumaru looked at him like that – he had this way of making his expression go hard and yet completely blank, leaving Inuyasha no clue as to what the other man was thinking.

"So," the older man said at last, breaking the silence, "You've managed to return alive, Inuyasha. That is either a testament to your bravery or an indication of your cowardice."

The hanyou's eyes snapped to meet his brother's as years of hatred came screaming back to him. "The fuck is _that_ supposed to mean?" he demanded hotly.

"Either you found a way to make yourself useful and have risked life and limb to bring us valuable information…or you found yourself for the first time in a truly difficult situation, and you took the first opportunity for escape that presented itself. Which is it?"

Inuyasha glared murderously back at the other man, whose demeanor remained nevertheless unchanged. "For your information, I didn't want to leave – I left because I had to. I had orders…to bring you the info the Resistance has collected on Naraku."

The General nodded once to acknowledge this. "I am aware of that – but it remains to be seen whether or not that information will be of any use to us."

Apparently that was Inuyasha's cue to begin explaining, so he ran a hand through his hair, readjusted himself into a more comfortable position in his chair, and dug in.

"Maybe I'd better start at the beginning: Do you remember Kikyo?"

Sesshoumaru's brow furrowed only the slightest bit. "The woman you were involved with – she worked in the air base if I recall correctly. She disappeared not long after you shipped out."

The hanyou gave a wry breath. "Yeah, well I found her – turns out she was a double-agent. She defected and ran off with the German General Naraku."

Inuyasha went on to recount his experiences over the past couple of months – well, at least those that were of military significance. By the end of the story he was pacing back and forth across the narrow office as he tried to recall every last relevant detail. When at last he had finished, the General settled back into his chair with his usual air of complete authority, nodding slightly in consideration.

"You seem to have had a rather interesting couple of months," he commented with a hint of irony, "probably even more interesting than you realize, from a larger tactical perspective. This information should prove to be extremely useful in the months to come. There's only one thing I'm curious about."

Having been momentarily surprised at receiving something resembling a compliment from his older brother, Inuyasha then returned the man's gaze warily. "What's that?"

"This agent you mentioned – the one who resembled Kikyo. You never mentioned her name."

It was true – he'd been hoping his brother wouldn't notice. He had very carefully avoided mentioning Kagome's name, trying as hard as he possibly could to distance himself from her, from what had happened between them. It wasn't that he was trying to forget her, because he knew he'd never be able to do that; but he also knew that he wouldn't be able to do his job if he let himself moon over her like some sort of pathetic teenager. He needed – for the time being, at least – to remember only the agent, and not the woman. Besides, he wasn't about to discuss his love life with Sesshoumaru of all people. "I didn't think it was all that important," he replied, by way of explanation.

The other man didn't buy it. "I see. Well, if you wouldn't mind, it would help us to keep things straight."

Inuyasha shot his brother an irritated glare, but he knew that protesting any further would only confirm the man's suspicions. "Her name was Kagome."

"Kagome – a lovely name," the general mused. "You know, listening to you speak, I almost had the impression that perhaps she was something more to you that you implied."

The hanyou merely grunted.

After a brief silence, Sesshoumaru tried again. "I take it then that I was mistaken."

Inuyasha glared at him resentfully. "Do you have a point? Because I don't see how the fuck any of that is your business."

The General lifted his chin slightly at that – not, it seemed, in contempt, but rather in a sort of amused consideration. "I suppose it isn't. But I am your brother after all."

Confusion replaced spite in Inuyasha's gaze at the uncharacteristic response. "Since when have you ever been a brother to me," he replied, perhaps in a vague attempt to hold onto that comfortable resentment. It wasn't working.

Sesshoumaru merely continued to regard him, his expression unchanged. "She's someone special, this Kagome of yours, isn't she."

A wry hint of a chuckle crossed Inuyasha's face, and in spite of himself, he found himself answering the not-quite-a-question. "Yeah, she's someone special; but she's not mine."

* * *

It was exactly like he'd remembered it. Maybe a little neater than he'd usually kept it – probably because she'd continued to live here for several months after he'd left – but it also possessed the stale, dusty scent of an old broom closet, rarely opened and filled with ghosts and skeletons of all shapes and sizes.

He stepped carefully into the apartment, feeling almost like an intruder, an invader of a past that no longer existed, and closed the dark wooden door behind him. The main room was rectangular and relatively narrow, with a window overlooking an alley directly across from the door and a little sitting area made up of a couch, a chair, and a coffee table sitting just beneath it. In the far corner was a small kitchenette, and directly across from that, next to the couch, was the door to the bedroom. The floor was made of dark wooden boards, roughened with age, and covered in part by a dark scarlet rug with an intricate pattern of golds and blues dancing around its edges.

Inuyasha turned on a lamp, and continued his almost detached perusal of the space. After spending the last two years devoting nearly all of his energy to the quest of returning to this place, it was undeniably strange to actually be here at last. In a way, a part of him had almost come to believe that he had imagined it all – that he had built the place in is mind out of sheer loneliness, and that this place, this time in his life, had never really existed. He'd seen it happen to other guys, heard them talk about a woman with such detail, such reverence, that at a certain point they started to forget that she was no more than the cover of an old magazine, or a figment of their collective imaginations. But now, he was here. It was real.

And it was empty.

He moved on into the bedroom, coming to stand in the doorway. There was the same bulging, lumpy mattress on the same old metal bed frame. The evening light that managed to slip into the space between this building and the next slanted in through the dingy curtains onto the faded yellow and blue quilt that covered the bed, which had seemingly gone untouched since Kikyo's departure.

He could see her there, sitting on top of the coverlet, propped up against the bedstead with a book on her knees; he could see her moving quickly about the room in search of some missing piece to her uniform, her heels clicking smartly against the wood floor; he could see her lying beneath him as they made love, her usually neatly kept hair fanned out messily over the creamy pillowcase.

"_I love you," Inuyasha murmured into the soft blue darkness, his head pillowed against Kikyo's chest, his arms wrapped around her waist._

_She lifted a hand to gently stroke the side of his face, hesitating only a moment before replying in a whisper. "I love you too…"_

At the very least, now that he thought back on it, she had hesitated slightly before telling so blatant a lie to him. It didn't change anything, of course, but it showed that perhaps she wasn't entirely soulless.

Something that had been nagging at the back of his mind ever since his meeting with Sesshoumaru now came to the forefront: Why had Kikyo sent him the letter? She obviously hadn't really needed to, since he'd been out of the country and unable to stop her leaving no matter what. And since she'd been leaving in order to defect to the enemy, telling anyone anything about her plans – however unspecific – could only have been a risk. What did she have to gain by telling him anything at all? Why not just leave and let him discover her absence upon his return? By then she would have been long gone and completely out of his reach.

Was it possible that he had meant something to her after all? That she had sent him the letter as some sort of small courtesy, to at least spare him the disappointment of returning only to find her gone?

Too much – just too much. Inuyasha's brain was too tired to think anymore. He barely managed to shrug off his coat and kick off his shoes before crawling up onto the squishy surface of the bed. He was asleep by the time his head reached the pillow.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I'll admit I was getting a little punchy when I wrote most of this chapter. I kept putting in little jokes (mainly to myself – dunno if anyone in their right mind would find them nearly as funny as I do), like naming the guy who met Inuyasha in the forest "Private Ryan" (as in _Saving Private Ryan_), and giving Inuyasha the last name of "Montague" (which is, of course, the last name of that legendarily tragic romantic icon: Romeo), and giving the other two officers the semi-rhyming names of "Hawkins" and "Jenkins" (which I did completely by accident, actually, but it made me laugh…).

So yeah…other than that, what did you think? (--grin--)

Oh, also, about Inuyasha's name: I was about to fall back on the standard "Takahashi," just for simplicity's sake, when I realized that I couldn't let him be of Japanese descent. Considering the fact that the US was at war with Japan, and as a result all Japanese Americans had been put into internment camps for the duration of the war, the likelihood that a man of Japanese ancestry would have been allowed to fly in the US Air Force (much less become a high-ranking general, like Sesshy) would be slim indeed. Granted, I am far from an expert, and it's been awhile since I last studied WWII in school (as a matter of fact, the last time was right around the time I started this story…lol…), so I may be wrong about this, but that was my reasoning…


	19. Nightingale

Author's Note: Another chapter! And it's only been what…two weeks, maybe? Whew…how often does _that_ happen…?

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 19: Nightingale

He was gone. Even now she found that she had to consciously remind herself of that fact from time to time – and each time she did the world seemed to lose a bit of its already meager luster. She felt empty, lifeless…abandoned.

Of course, she knew in her heart that it had been for the best. He had his part to play in the grand scheme of things, and she had hers. What right did they have to sacrifice countless lives for the sake of their own happiness? It was precisely such heartlessness and cruelty that this war was being fought to bring to an end.

Nonetheless, despite what he seemed to think, she refused to give up hope for them. As long as they were both alive, there was still a chance that one day they would find each other – and when that day came, she promised herself that she would never let him out of her sight again. A love like theirs didn't come along every day – and she knew in her heart that it was stronger than circumstance, stronger than evil, stronger than this wretched war. They would survive this.

She lifted eyes full of silent determination and hope defiantly to the steel-gray skies that blanketed the town. Koharu wasn't the sort of woman to let a little thing like a war come between her and her beloved for long. She felt like that woman in that book about the American Civil War that had been popular a few years back, felt like shaking her fist at the heavens and declaring, "As god as my witness, I'll never be hungry again!" Well, except she'd be saying, "As god as my witness, I'll be with Miroku again!"…but the sentiment was ultimately the same.

Meanwhile, she would survive, and she would do everything in her power to bring this war to its swiftest possible conclusion.

Her shoes clicked against the cobbled stones as she made her way to the market to buy a few supplies. There wouldn't be much available in the "above ground" market, of course – for there never was these days – but she had a few acquaintances who would be able to provide her with items from more covert sources.

As she rounded the corner onto la rue de l'espion, she caught the sound of a small moaning coming from behind a stack of old crates and refuse next to the building on her left. Curious, she peered around the edge of the stack, drawing in a sharp breath at the sight that met her eyes.

The man was bleeding badly, his face pale and drawn – he looked as though he was only just barely clinging to the edge of consciousness. His eyelids kept drooping at odd intervals, his facial muscles straining in a weak grimace. "Help me…please…"

There was no time to waste. She knelt beside the man and shrugged off her coat, helping him to sit up so that she could drape the garment over his shoulders and wrap it around him – it wouldn't be a good idea, after all, to have him walking around Asile with such obvious injuries. Clearly he'd gotten on someone's bad side – and the guys with the worst "bad sides" in the area were the ones running this town.

She adjusted the coat to hide his injuries as best she could, and helped the man to stand, supporting as much of his weight as she could manage. He was rather slightly built, lean framed and about average height – which was a good thing, because if he'd been any larger she might not have managed. Thankfully her apartment was just down the street from here. As an added precaution, she led him around the back way, through the alleys, where they would hopefully not be spotted.

It was slow going, for the man was clearly in a great deal of pain, but he seemed quite strong-willed, determined to push through. When at last they reached her tiny apartment she immediately led him over to the bed, helping him to lie down so that she could get a better look at his injuries.

She tore open his shirt, which was blood-soaked and dirty, to reveal a bullet wound in his side, near the base of his ribcage. The bullet didn't seem to have punctured his lung, for his breathing was hindered only by pain, and not by the injury itself. He hissed a breath when she prodded gently at the wound to inspect it more closely, but he made no move to stop her. Fortunately as well, the bullet seemed to have passed straight through his body, so she didn't have to worry about extracting it – which was something she was not equipped to attempt. Next she examined his left arm, which, judging by the slightly odd angle at which it was set, and the way he was favoring it, was probably broken.

"Don't worry," she murmured soothingly, glancing sympathetically at his agonized face. "I'll get you cleaned up – everything's going to be fine." The man swallowed and nodded shortly, eyes clenched shut as he tried to steady his shallow breathing and endure the ache of his injuries.

Koharu quickly set about preparing a bowl of water, collecting a hand towel and a couple of rolls of bandages with which to tend to his wounds, and coming back to kneel beside the bed. By the time she'd reseated herself, his breathing had become less erratic, more relaxed – she supposed it hadn't been particularly good for him to move with such injuries, but they'd had no choice. It would have been even worse for him to stay in the open to be discovered by the patrols. Even if he wasn't a spy, which she presumed he must be, they probably would have assumed that he was – after all why else would a civilian receive such injuries in times like these, when there were no battles being fought in the area?

He hissed and tensed again when she brought the warm, damp cloth to the wound in his side, but soon he became accustomed to the feeling and relaxed into her ministrations. She worked silently and skillfully, for although she had no formal medical training, her mother had taught her a good deal before she'd passed away, and she'd spent years looking after her father, cleaning up the results of his clumsiness until a couple of years ago when he'd succumbed to a bout of pneumonia. Besides, the war had brought a few casualties to her doorstep before know – including Miroku, one night.

That glorious night, she thought wistfully, swallowing the tears that threatened to well up inside of her again. He'd snagged his shoulder on some barbed wire while taking a shortcut and had given himself a nasty gash. She'd found him in an alley, dabbing futilely at it with a bit of cloth, and offered to patch it up for him. It had been love at first sight for the two of them, and since that night her life had never been the same. He'd whisked her from her girlish naïveté into a world of romance and espionage – a world which, in the end, had taken him away from her.

After cleaning and dressing the wound in his side, she went to work carefully on his arm. She didn't think it was a complete break – just a fracture – and after gently fingering the shape of the bone she decided that it didn't seem to have shifted significantly. The best she could to was to create a makeshift splint, which she accomplished by first bandaging the arm, then placing a wooden kitchen spoon on either side of the forearm and wrapping another layer of bandages firmly around it to keep everything in place. The man grimaced as she worked, but overall he handled the whole procedure very well.

When at last she was finished, she sat back on her heels with a sigh and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "There – you should be alright in awhile, as long as you get some rest," she said comfortingly, giving the man a kind smile.

He opened his eyes about halfway and regarded her with gratitude. "Thank you," he murmured.

"Don't try to talk," she admonished, "Just rest – we'll talk later."

"Wait," he stopped her when she made to stand. "At least…tell me your name, first."

"Koharu," she replied.

He nodded slightly. "Koharu – a beautiful name. My name is Hojo."

* * *

The smell of gin and scotch whiskey hit him like a cloud of memory as he stepped down into the dim, carousing atmosphere of the bar. Seemed like just yesterday that he'd been here last, downing shots with his air force buddies as they "celebrated" his reassignment. It was always easier to call it a celebration when one of the boys was relocated, rather than acknowledging the party for what it really was – a farewell. Possibly forever.

"Inuyasha!" a voice called out from a table near the back, and the man in question turned to see a familiar figure standing to greet him, a delighted grin spreading across the other man's face. "You made it!" the man said, shaking Inuyasha's hand, pulling him into a brief one-armed hug and thumping him on the back.

"Hey Joey," Inuyasha replied, returning the gesture – though with less enthusiasm. He'd need a little alcohol in his system before he could shrug off his problems completely.

"How've you been?" Joey asked, offering him a seat at the crowded table as he resumed his own. Inuyasha accepted, nodding acknowledgement at the others around the table, some of whom he recognized, but others of whom were unfamiliar. A few of the other men had women on their laps, some in uniform, others apparently locals who liked to come by and keep the soldiers company.

"Alright I guess," Inuyasha said with a shrug, in answer to his friend's query.

"Well you don't look the hell alright," the man chuckled. "Come on, let's get this guy a drink!"

Someone shoved an open bottle of whisky and a glass in his direction and he poured himself a serving, taking a grateful swig and feeling the alcohol tingle down his throat. With any luck he'd be drunk within the hour.

"So," Joey continued, "What the hell happened? Last we heard you were MIA. 'Course we never thought for a minute that those bastards could take down the Top Dog for good."

Inuyasha chuckled wryly. "It's kind of a long story. I got shot down over France, ended up in this little village. Met this woman…"

A wave of hoots and suggestive taunts cut him off, and he rolled his eyes. "Ooooh – so you mean all this time we've been worryin' about you you were off in France fucking some chick?" Joey mocked, and Inuyasha answered him with a light punch on the arm.

"Shut the hell up you dumb bastard," the hanyou replied, but without venom. What did it matter what they thought? It was easier to let them think she was some French bimbo than to get into the truth. "Anyway, I got captured, then she got captured, then I escaped, then I went back and helped her escape…and now I'm here." He shrugged. "And a bunch of other shit happened somewhere in there, but like I said, long story…"

As the evening wore on, the sounds of hoots and laughter began to meld together in the space like a palpable substance. It was like being in the world's engine room, listening to the grinding of the gears as they turned the earth in circles on its axis, everything in motion, nothing standing still. A pair of drunks were playing each other at darts nearby, and there was a rousing game of pool going on in the alcove at the back. At one point a dart landed and stuck into the surface of the table a mere centimeter from Inuyasha's hand, and he didn't even flinch. He just blinked at it a couple of times, pulled it out, and chuckled, tossing it into the middle of the table.

"…So I told this burkey trained jackass," one of the men beside him slurred, swaying drunkenly in his chair, "he better get his hands da hell offa my girl…and you know what he said? _'Bite me, shitface!'_"

The whole table howled with laughter at this, their collective level of intelligence having been significantly diluted by drink at this point. Inuyasha himself doubled over in mirth, pounding a fist against the surface of the table.

No Kikyo. No Kagome. No Naraku. No Sesshoumaru. He was a ship on the open sea, tossed about by waves of bourbon, with nothing and no one to cling to – no cares, no responsibilities, no worries, no wants…

Too bad it couldn't last.

Behind him, at the bar near the front entrance, sat an empty stool, where once years ago there had sat a woman with a flawless curtain of ebony hair twisted up neatly at the base of her skull, and an icy countenance that had earned her her nickname. Eventually he would have to face it – but he wasn't looking that direction for now.

* * *

It was nearly nightfall by the time Koharu's patient awoke, his throat parched with thirst.

She brought him a glass and a pitcher of fresh water, helping him to sit up so that he could drink. "How are you feeling?" she asked conscientiously as he gulped eagerly at the cool liquid.

"Better," he replied when he came up for air. "I don't know how to thank you – you've saved my life."

Koharu smiled, glancing away modestly as she took a seat at the edge of the bed. "I did nothing anyone with a heart wouldn't have done."

"That's not true," he insisted. "These days having a heart can get you killed – and most people chose to look after their own and not risk their lives for strangers."

"Well, risking my life for strangers is sort of my business, I guess. I don't really have anyone else. Not anymore…" Her eyes grew unfocused, as her mind strayed to her beloved.

Hojo regarded her silently for awhile, saying quietly, "You remind me very much of someone."

She returned her gaze to his face. "Do I? Who?"

"A girl I once knew. She…used to live around here, but I'm sure she's left by now. At least, I hope so."

"I take it she was someone special?" Koharu asked.

He smiled, giving a small nod. "Very special – she was my fiancée."

"I see," Koharu replied, deciding not to pry any further into this poor man's personal business. "So – just how did you come about these injuries anyway?"

"I had a bit of a run-in with the sentries outside the village."

"They attacked you? Why?"

"They were under the impression that I was some sort of spy," he replied, but something in his answer made her narrow her eyes in consideration.

"Are you?" she asked.

"Am I what?"

"A spy," she clarified matter-of-factly.

He met her gaze warily, swallowing. Obviously he wasn't a very good spy, she decided – she could read him a mile away. "No," he replied, in a voice that was not the least bit convincing. "But I am looking for someone."

"Let me guess," she interrupted, "A man named Miroku?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "You know him?"

She smiled. "Quite well."

The man lifted his chin into a slow nod, finally comprehending. "I see – you're Resistance."

She replied with a nod.

"Well then maybe you can help me. Do you know how I could find this Miroku guy?"

Her smile morphed into a slight grimace. "Unfortunately, he had to leave town – his cover was blown, so whatever you do, don't mention his name to anyone but me. If the Nazis already suspect you, you definitely don't want them to connect you to him."

"Right – well do you know where he went?" Hojo asked.

Koharu gazed steadily at a point just over the man's shoulder, nodding her head slightly as she weighed their options. "I think so," she replied. "It's not going to be easy though. I've never actually been there myself, only been given directions – and rather vague ones at that. Besides, we'll have to travel on foot…and you're not exactly in peak condition."

"I'll be alright if I just rest for a couple of days," he assured her. "Believe me, I've suffered worse than this over the past few years."

"Very well – if you're sure…we can set out in a couple of days then."

* * *

That night, Hojo lay awake in the young woman's bed, staring up at the water-stained ceiling above him. He'd offered her the bed – since it _was_ hers, after all – but she had insisted that he remain there, saying she'd be fine on the couch. He'd been about to protest, when she pointed out that the more he strained his injuries now, the longer it would take him to heal, and the more their impending journey would be postponed.

But he wasn't thinking of Koharu just now. He was thinking of another young woman from Asile.

Even after all this time, he could still picture her face in his mind as though he'd last seen her only the day before. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he'd ever known. Of course, every guy says that about his girl while he's off at war, but he'd known it even before he'd left.

She was the reason he was still alive. Not only had she given him a reason to live through battle, but after he'd become separated from his regiment three years ago, she had given him a reason to survive on his own, without the support of an army and a battle plan. It was because of her that he hadn't merely given up hope and let himself freeze to death in the forest over that long, hard winter; because of her that he'd found the strength to join the small band of freedom fighters that he'd stumbled upon up near the coast. For three years he'd lived with them, fought with them, starved with them – and all the while, he'd thought of her.

Of course, the more time passed, the more he began to realize how unlikely it was that they would ever be together again. One or both of them could be killed, or perhaps she would find someone else – after all, she probably already thought him dead. Still he wanted to hope that she was out there somewhere, waiting for him by a warm fire, dreaming of his kisses with a copy of _Hamlet_ open on her lap.

* * *

A/N: Okay, once again it's time for FrameofMind's hidden joke corner. First of all, the road that Koharu finds Hojo on is called "la rue de l'espion," which, as many of you probably either know or can guess, means "the street of the spy." Second (and this one's a little more subtle – but funnier, if you're a music nerd like me), the line "For three years he'd lived with them, fought with them, starved with them," is a paraphrase of a line from the song "Do You Love Me?" from _Fiddler on the Roof_ ("For twenty-five years I've lived with him, fought with him, starved with him…").

Well anyway, I had originally intended to take this chapter further, but this seemed like a good enough stopping point, and I thought a fast-ish update might be nice for a change…


	20. Out of Sight

Author's Notes: Okay, a few people had a problem with the fact that it was somewhat ambiguous who was speaking at the beginning of the last chapter, so let me just say that that was intentional. I wanted you to think that it was Kagome speaking at first, both to throw a bit of a curveball, and (frankly) to sort of make fun of Kagome's tendency for melodrama throughout the story…

Anyway, that being said, I'd like to suggest that everyone please close their history books for the duration of the chapter (and probably for the duration of the story, for that matter). In fact, you might want to close those geography books too…just in case…

(--grin--)

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 20: Out of Sight

They moved slowly but steadfastly, for Hojo's injuries were by no means healed yet. Koharu's inclination had been to wait a few more days, but her patient had insisted that they leave as soon as possible, though he had not divulged a reason for this haste – only that it was of the utmost importance that they reach Miroku as soon as possible. She had tried to convince him to rest awhile longer, but to no avail – and so, only two days after his arrival, they had set out on a careful trek in search of Resistance Headquarters.

That had been three days ago. They didn't speak much over the journey, both to avoid attracting the attention of any passers-by who might appear, as well as for the reason that Hojo needed all of his energies merely to keep going. When his injuries were ailing him she offered her shoulder for support, or they would stop to rest awhile, but overall they maintained a steady pace.

The terrain here in this part of the forest they were traveling in was rough and brush-filled, difficult to navigate safely, so Hojo had his good arm slung across her shoulders, and they loped along carefully, like entrants in a rather slow three-legged race. She could hear his breath beginning to come in pants, punctuated every so often by a sharp inhale and a tightening of muscles as pain gripped him.

"I told you, we ought to have waited," the young woman admonished.

"This couldn't wait – I've taken too long as it is. I just hope it won't be too late once we get there."

Koharu glanced over at his profile with a frown. "Just what is it that you have to tell Miroku? Is he in danger?"

Hojo shook his head slightly, grimacing slightly as his side twinged again. "Not as far as I know – that's not what the message is about anyway."

"Well then what is it?"

"I can't tell you," he replied simply.

"Why not? Don't you trust me?" she questioned, slightly hurt.

"No – it's not that, Koharu," he assured her quickly. "It's just…I have my orders. If Miroku wants to tell you once I tell him then fine, but this is too important for me to just go blabbing it all over the place."

Koharu didn't respond, and the pair lapsed into silence once more.

After a few minutes during which the only sounds were the rustling of leaves in the wind and the cracking of twigs and branches beneath their feet, she spoke again, rather quietly. "I don't think it's much farther – we should be there soon."

"How will we know it when we see it?" Hojo asked.

"Miroku said to look for a 'Y' shaped tree near the top of a rise—look!" she suddenly came to a halt and pointed toward a tree that matched the description she had just given. "That's it, I'm sure of it…"

"So now what?"

The young woman bit her lip, trying to recall the rest of his instructions. Perhaps in all that time she had spent daydreaming about reuniting with him one day she ought to have concentrated a bit more on the practical details of, say, how to _find_ him, rather than simply how she would greet him when she did…

"Oh! Now I remember – there's supposed to be a trap door at the base of the tree, covered in dirt and brush. Here, just wait here for a moment – I'll find it."

It took about ten minutes of circling the tree and pulling aside dead branches, brushing away patches of dirt before she found the edge of a metal door peaking out from the soil. Soon she had located the handle and pulled it open to find a dark, narrow passageway with a ladder leading straight down into nothingness. "I'll go first so I can help you if you need it," she offered, and Hojo nodded his assent, prompting her to begin the careful climb into the black abyss.

She lost count of the steps somewhere along the way, all sense of space and distance cut off from the moment they closed the trap door behind them, blocking out the light. By the time she found solid ground beneath her feet, she had no idea how far underground they were – as far as she knew, they could be twenty feet, or they could be twenty-_thousand_ feet below the surface. Following the sound of Hojo's muffled grunts as he made his way one-armed down the ladder, she reached out and helped guide him to the floor.

"There ought to be a door somewhe—" she began, but broke off in mid-sentence when all of a sudden they were blasted with a broad shaft of yellow light, the sound of a metal door banging against stone wall reverberating around the chamber. Blinking against the shock to her corneas, Koharu squinted at the figure silhouetted in the doorway, registering the telltale click of a rifle safety.

"Who's there?" a voice demanded in a no-nonsense tone.

"Please, don't shoot," she said quickly, startled out of her wits.

There was a brief pause. And then… "Koharu?" the voice said questioningly.

That was when she recognized it.

"Miroku!" she exclaimed with nothing short of elation as she flung herself forward into his arms, ignoring his startled "oof" at the sudden impact.

"Koharu…how did you—why did you…what are you doing here?" the man questioned, somewhat flustered.

Koharu mistook his nervousness for delighted surprise, and rewarded him with a heady kiss. When she pulled back she gazed deeply into his eyes. "I had to see you," she said passionately. "I couldn't bear being apart from you, not for another minute. We belong together – after all, don't we deserve some happiness?"

"Ah…Koharu—"

"Is everything alright Mir—" Another voice stopped short as its owner rounded the corner to come face to face with the little reunion going on in the hallway. Taking in the sight before her – this anonymous young woman with her arms around Miroku's neck, and the latter with his hands on the young woman's waist – Sango brought her arms up to fold gracefully over her chest, her eyebrows raising and cheeks drawing inward into a "just what exactly do you think you're doing _now?_" expression.

"Who's that?" asked Koharu curiously, noticing the odd expression with which the older woman was regarding them.

"Ah – nobody," he answered quickly – immediately regretting it when he saw the flames spark in Sango's usually lovely brown eyes.

"Is that so?" Sango said with a dangerously light tone.

"No—no, Sango, I didn't mean—" he began to protest, making a move toward said woman as he attempted to diffuse the bomb ticking in her expression – but unfortunately the woman around his neck wasn't quite ready to let him go.

"Who is she, Miroku?" Koharu asked again, a little more troubled this time.

"Who is _she_, Miroku?" Sango echoed, nodding pointedly at his human necktie.

"Ah…funny story, actually…" he began, stalling for time.

"Sango, is something the—" came yet another voice around the corner, only to stop in a similar fashion as Kagome discovered the little tempest in a teabag taking place before her. "Ah – okay then, I'll just be on my way…"

However, just as she was about to turn back the way she had come, the forgotten participant in this little scene appeared stun-faced in the doorway that led to the dark room from whence Koharu had appeared. For a moment Kagome and Hojo merely looked at each other, neither one quite believing that what they saw could really be true.

At last, Kagome whispered, "Hojo…?"

"Kagome…" he murmured.

In a few short strides she was in his arms, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cradled the back of his head in her palm, clutching him to her as though to be certain that he was not an illusion. "H-how?" she asked between shaking breaths. "They told me you were dead – this can't be…"

"Kagome, I've missed you so…" he murmured into her neck, stroking her ebony tresses and pressing a gentle kiss to her jaw.

Finally she pulled back, cradling his face in her hands and looking into the countenance she'd been certain she would never see again. "What happened?" she said weakly, still at a loss. It was as though she'd gotten used to an upside-down world, and all of a sudden it had been turned right-side-up again.

"It's kind of a long story – but that doesn't matter now. Seeing you makes everything seem so…unimportant…" he said gently, pulling her back into his arms. She closed her eyes and returned the embrace.

In light of this rather more important reunion, the other three had fallen silent for the time being, captivated by the sight – however Miroku and Sango both looked upon it with a certain sense of apprehension, putting aside their differences for the moment to exchange a look that asked, "but what now…?"

What now indeed…

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the new arrivals and the senior agents of the Resistance cell had convened around the conference table to receive the information that Hojo had been sent to deliver.

"We've received word from the Allied High Command that – based on the information collected from various cells, including this one, as well as their own intelligence and reconnaissance operations – they have determined that the Nazis are planning a counter-operation intended to undermine the Allied offensive known as the Doomsday Operation. General Naraku, the mastermind behind the counter-offensive, plans to lead his troops into France by way of a more southerly route, through an area that has not been considered to be of strategic significance for some time, and therefore is virtually bare of soldiers. Only one bridge remains undamaged within this region, so therefore the High Command has been able to identify Naraku's crossing-point as the small border town of Ville du Pont.

"The Allies are preparing to launch an operation to head off this plan. Because the success of Naraku's counter-offensive depends heavily on his ability to cross the Rhine at this particular place, a unit is being sent in with orders to destroy the bridge and stop them at all costs. However, because there is a limit to the number of soldiers they'll be able to deploy there without attracting too much attention, and because most of our Allied troops are being configured for the first wave of the D-day invasion, the Command requests that we send as many agents as are willing to assist them."

Henri nodded, brow furrowed in thought as he gazed seriously at the table, taking in the young man's information. "I see…" he murmured. "We'll begin making the necessary arrangements immediately." Then he lifted his eyes and acknowledged Hojo with a short nod of approval. "You've done good work – now go get some rest and let those injuries heal, understood? Dismissed."

Chairs scraped against the cement floor as everyone present moved to exit the room, most heading off to help with the plans for sending aid to the mission just described. Only Kagome and Hojo remained where they were, side-by-side at one corner of the quickly emptying conference table. Hojo took Kagome's hand in his and looked lovingly over at her. She returned his affection with a squeeze of the hand and a small smile, though her eyes were full of questions.

When at last only they were left, she gave voice to one of those questions. "What happened?" she whispered.

Guilt swam in his eyes as he replied, "I'm so sorry – I wanted to reach you somehow, to tell you I was alright, but it just wasn't possible. I was on a reconnaissance mission when my regiment was ambushed – we got separated, and I never did find my way back to them."

"But they told me they'd found you, that you were wounded and had died before they could save you," she protested. "The telegram said—"

"Things were falling apart by then," he explained gently, "There must have been some sort of mistake in all the confusion. Look, I can't tell you exactly what might have happened, because I don't know myself – but the important thing is that we're together now. We'll never have to be apart again."

Kagome looked into his eyes at that last statement, then looked away with a small, wry breath. "It's not that simple…" she began, not exactly sure where to go from there.

A frown crossed his expression. "Why not?"

She couldn't look at him, wasn't even exactly sure what she intended to say until she was saying it. "I…I thought you were dead. For three years I've thought that you were dead, that you were never coming back. Do you have any idea what those three years have done to me?"

"Kagome – if there had been anything I could have done, anything to let you know that I was alright—" he said quickly, almost pleading for forgiveness.

"I'm not blaming you, Hojo," she interrupted gently. "It's not a matter of fault…it's just that—can't you see? I'm…I'm not the same person I was when you left. I'm not that girl anymore…"

"Of course you are – I don't care that you've joined the Resistance, that you've had to become a fighter in order to survive. Kagome, do you really believe for a second that anything you've done could make me stop loving you?"

"No, Hojo…you still don't understand…"

"But I do," he protested with a bemused smile. "Don't forget, I know you better than you know yourself. You're afraid that I only wanted you as long as you remained a sweet, unassuming housewife for me to come home to, that I'll be repulsed by the fact that you've been forced to fight…maybe even to kill…"

Kagome sighed, trying a different tack. "What if I told you that I've been sleeping with a Nazi for information for the past two years?"

"I don't c—what?" Hojo stopped short mid protest, stunned.

The woman replied with a serious nod.

"You…you…" he stuttered, apparently rendered incapable of speech. "But you and I never even…I mean…wow…" he finished on an exhale, glancing away. His hands went limp over hers as he tried to take stock of this new information.

Kagome watched him almost pityingly, a part of her regretting the loss of his innocent mental picture of her – yet another part knowing that it was for the best.

"I don't care," he replied at last, turning back to regard her resolutely. "It wasn't your fault – you thought I was dead. I'm sure you were only…doing what you had to do."

She looked back at him in mild surprise. Apparently she wasn't the only one who had changed – the Hojo she knew probably would have keeled over at the thought of her sleeping with someone else. But nonetheless, his forgiveness of her indiscretion ultimately changed nothing.

"I love you, Kagome – that will never change," he said unwaveringly.

She merely smiled a sigh in response.

Putting the subject to rest for the moment, Kagome asked quietly, "Will you be going with them?"

"On the mission? If I'm well enough by then. Otherwise I'd be more of a hindrance than a help. Just think, Kagome – this mission could mean the difference between our winning the war and losing it. If we're successful, the whole thing could be over in a matter of months – maybe a year. I heard that one of the top generals is even sending his own brother out in command of this mission."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly, snapping to Hojo's. "One of the generals' brother is leading the mission? Which one?"

"I don't know – but they say the guy is an expert on the situation. Apparently he has some sort of connection with one of the Resistance cells."

Her heart clenched in her chest at this, for she knew exactly who Hojo must be talking about. "Oh my god…he's leading the attack…"

The man before her frowned slightly in confusion. "Kagome? Is something wrong?"

She turned back to him, at a loss for words. _How do I explain?_

"Kagome?"

At last, she took a deep breath. "Hojo, I know the man you're talking about – he was a…friend of mine, I guess. He showed up in Asile a couple of months ago, injured, and we took care of him, Sango and I. That was how he got mixed up in all of this…"

There was a pause, during which Hojo began to regard her somewhat suspiciously. "There's something else you're not telling me, isn't there."

"Yes…" she said hesitantly. "You know before, when I tried to explain to you that I've…changed? Well, the thing is…"

The light faded out of his eyes to be replaced with understanding. "You're in love with him…"

She nodded silently. "I'm sorry…"

* * *

Henri slipped his reading glasses from his nose, setting them aside and closing his eyes to pinch the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger, elbows resting on the map-covered desk before him. He'd been debating potential travel routes with himself for the last hour – this one safer, that one faster, this one more practical – and still had yet to make a final decision. He could only hope that these decisions might spell the beginning of the end for the Germans, and for this godforsaken war.

There was a brief knock at the door, but before he'd even had a chance to say, "Come in," Kagome had entered the room and strode over to stand before the desk.

"I have to come with you," she stated firmly, without preamble.

"Kagome…" he began in weary protest – but she interrupted.

"No – don't give me that bullshit about me being a woman. I have to come with you on this mission. Inuyasha is leading it."

His eyebrows raised at that. "Is that so? How do you know that?"

"Hojo," she responded. "He heard a few things, and I pieced them together. Now do you see why I have to go?"

"No, Kagome, I can't say that I do. Look," he continued, holding up a hand to silence further protests, "The fact of the matter is that you _are_ a woman, and while you may be a very good agent, the battlefield is a bit different. This is not a spy operation – this is combat we're talking about."

"I don't care!" she said fiercely, then closed her eyes a moment in an effort to control her stress-induced temper. "This is an important mission, and we need all the help we can get. Besides, I'm sick and tired of being the one waiting at home to hear news of the deaths of the people I love – I'm not going to do it anymore. If I'm there at least I may be able to do something to see that he gets home safe, and if I can't then I'd rather die trying."

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," Henri said with a shake of his head. "You're too emotionally involved – you won't be able to make clear, objective decisions. You could risk the entire success of the mission."

"No," she protested. "Look, I'll admit that I have some very personal motives here, but you said yourself that I'm a good agent. I know what's at stake, and I know what it means to put my life on the line for the good of the cause – for god's sake, I've been doing it for nearly three years now. Please…just let me go…"

Henri released a heavily reluctant sigh, gazing unfocusedly at the faded, battle-scarred photograph of his wife and children that was sitting on his desk. "Very well."

* * *

A/N: I'm in sort of a hurry today, so not much to say about this one. Till next time… 


	21. The Color of Roses

Author's Note: Well, seeing as I'm flying back to New York in three days, it doesn't look like I'll be finishing this story before break is over. Ah well – just have to keep plugging away. And if it's any consolation, it _is_ almost finished. I would estimate another two or three chapters (that's including an epilogue chapter). Sort of depends on how long various things take and where I decide to put the breaks. I can't wait to be done with this one. The melodrama is just killing me – _too much!_ Have to get back to something a bit more dynamic, a bit more "me." The voice of this story just doesn't sound genuine to me anymore. But what are you gonna do…

Someday I'll take yet another stab at the WWII story idea – this one's much better than the last one (an old "novel" I wrote years and years ago – it topped out at about 17 pages…), but I'm sure I could do better still if I started over and made some serious adjustments…

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 21: The Color of Roses

Meanwhile, in a completely different part of the complex, oblivious to the woes of the love torn Kagome and her wayward fiancé Hojo, World War III was taking root.

"What on _earth_ could you possibly have been thinking?" Sango questioned in a sharply bemused tone of voice.

"I _wasn't_ thinking, Sango – it was just a mistake," Miroku protested.

The woman snorted. "A mistake? Miroku, a mistake is when you leave the toilet seat up – this is…this is…I don't even _know_ what this is!" she finished, throwing her hands up in frustration and pacing to the other end of the narrow gap between the storage shelves. The papers in her hand rustled in an angry echo of her temperament as she flipped to the next page and scanned the inventory numbers running down the left side of the list. E28.387HH – canteens. That would be shelf…16 – one row down.

"Come on Sango, it was a year ago," the man entreated as he followed her around the edge of the metal shelf and into the next row. "You and I weren't even together then. I swear to you, there is absolutely nothing going on between us."

"Nothing!" she snapped, whirling to face him, and thus startling him into knocking several boxes of machine gun ammo to the floor with his elbow. "You really don't get it, do you? You have no idea what this is all about." With a hollow laugh, she went back to throwing canteens – perhaps a bit more forcefully than really necessary – into the cardboard box at her feet.

Putting the last of the ammo back on the shelf, Miroku stood again, flinching with each bang of a canteen hitting the others in the box, knowing that they could just as easily be flung in his direction. "What? What don't I get?"

"This!" she exclaimed by way of explanation, flinging her arms out in indicate their conversation. "You don't understand why I'm angry, that's what. Look," she gave the box a shove with her foot, sliding it down the row a few feet before turning back to face him head on, "I've always known what kind of a guy you were, and the fact that it's taken me this long to come across one of your…_"conquests" _is practically a miracle – that's not the issue here."

"Then what is?" he pleaded, grabbing her firmly by the upper arms.

"The issue is," Sango replied, shrugging off his grip in annoyance, "that she's in love with you." With that she turned and went back to her list, snagging supplies off the shelf as she found them, leaving Miroku to frown in confusion.

"But I already told you," he said, stepping forward, "I don't feel anything for her – there's nothing between us."

"I know that – you're not listening to me," Sango replied exasperatedly, "I said that _she_ is in love with _you_."

Miroku frowned a bit more. "So wait a minute, let me get this straight – you're mad at me…for _her_ sake?"

"Yes! Why is that so hard for you to comprehend?"

"Well, I dunno – I guess I just figured that you'd be…jealous, or something," he replied sheepishly.

Sango snorted in amusement, turning back to him somewhat wryly. "Miroku, I know you – I know you're not in love with Koharu, and I believe you when you say you only slept with her that one time, before we were together. But how could you lead the poor girl on like that?" she finished sternly.

"I wasn't trying to," he protested, "It just sort of…happened. She got the wrong idea about us after that night, and I just couldn't bring myself to tell her that I didn't feel that way about her. I figured she'd find somebody else sooner or later, but she didn't. I even tried to break it off with her the night we left Asile—"

"Is _that_ where you went?" Sango interrupted, hitting him on the shoulder. "How could you not tell me?"

"I didn't want to upset you," he justified. "I mean, we had a lot on our minds that night – did you really need to hear that I'd gone off to dump my teenaged groupie on the way out of town?"

"No, I s'pose not," she admitted reluctantly. "But you still should have told me the truth eventually."

"You're right, I should have. And in the future, I promise to inform you of any stubborn, clingy admirers who should happen to fall madly in love with me."

Sango rolled her eyes, but an amused smile found its way to her lips nonetheless. Miroku decided to go for broke and slip in a kiss – which, much to his relief, the woman accepted.

"So what happened," Sango asked when they broke apart.

"When?"

"When you tried to break it off with her," the woman elaborated. "Apparently it didn't take."

Miroku grinned. "No, not really. I tried to let her down easy, told her I had to leave town and that she should forget about me and get on with her life."

"Well _that_ was stupid," Sango chided with a smile, going back to her previous activity of collecting supplies – though with decidedly less malice than before. She tore the last couple of pages from the list and handed them to Miroku, indicating that he should help her.

"Why was it stupid?" he retorted slightly defensively, peering at the list to try to figure out how the numbering system worked.

"Isn't it obvious? The bottom line is that the girl isn't _really_ in love with you – she barely knows you. She's just caught up in the romantic fantasy of it all, which, to her, is the same as love. All you did was play Romeo to her Juliet – she'd drink _poison_ to follow you."

"Hm," Miroku considered, the clink of boxes of rifle ammo accumulating in Sango's collection sounding behind him. "I never thought of that." He added a few packs of field rations to the pile himself.

"I'm going to grab another box," Sango informed him and turned to leave the row. "Oh – wait, those are the wrong ones," she stopped him from adding another handful of rations. "You want the ones with the little green stickers on the sides, see? Be right back."

By the time Miroku had finished fishing the incorrect rations out of the collection box and re-shelving them, Sango had returned with the other box, which they then began filling.

"So what do you suggest I do?" Miroku asked.

"About Koharu? Well, if you ask me, what you really need to do is be direct with her. Tell her the truth – that you're not in love with her, that you never have been, and that you're just a dirty old lech who was looking for a good fuck."

Miroku raised an eyebrow at her. "Sango?"

She flashed a grin back at him. "Or something to that effect. But most importantly, you have to make sure she knows that it was all your fault."

"_My_ fault? But she's the one who—"

"Lured and innocent young girl into bed?" Sango finished sweetly.

"Alright, alright, I see your point," the man conceded.

"I thought you might. Besides, it's the least you can do. After all, she's the only one who stands to get hurt here – is it really so much to ask just to soften the blow a bit?"

A couple of hours later, once the pair of them had finished collecting the necessary supplies for the mission to stop Naraku, Miroku – his excuses for putting it off having run out – approached the door to Koharu's quarters and gave a reluctant knock.

"_But most importantly, you have to make sure she knows it was all your fault…"_ Sango's words echoed in his head, and he gave a slight grimace. He'd always had more of a penchant for weaseling his way out of these sorts of situations rather than facing them. He was better with card tricks and vanishing acts, playing the part of the innocent bystander, not the blatant crook. Not that anyone really bought his innocent act, but it at least distracted them long enough for him to get the hell out of Dodge.

"Miroku!" the young girl squealed ecstatically, planting a fervent kiss upon his lips before dragging him inside and shutting the door. Flinging her arms around his neck, she said through an eager smile. "I'm so glad you managed to give that cranky old lady with the brown hair the slip for awhile. Honestly, she's so controlling and demanding – how on _earth_ do you put up with her?"

She pulled back and placed another quick kiss upon his lips before even giving him a chance to respond, and then continued. "Well don't worry, I won't just stand by and let her bully you. It's time she realized that she has no hold on you, that you're already in a relationship. You know, I think she might be jealous."

"Ah – actually, that's sort of what I wanted to talk to you about. You see…the thing is…"

"You've talked to her already, haven't you," Koharu interrupted brightly. "I was right – she _is_ jealous! How did she take it when you told her about us?"

"Well – differently than I expected actually…" Miroku began, but he was soon cut off again.

"Oh you – you're so oblivious when it comes to women. I bet you had no idea she had a thing for you. Well, no wonder you were surprised when she flew off the han—"

"Koharu, please," Miroku interrupted somewhat impatiently. This had to stop – and in order to stop it, he needed to be able to get a word or two in edgewise. "I really need to talk to you, and I'd appreciate it if you would just listen for a moment."

The ecstasy drained slowly out of her expression, to be replaced with a naïve concern. "Alright – you sound so serious though. Is something the matter?"

Miroku was suddenly struck by how very young she actually was. Not merely in body, but in mind. Most of the people who had been young in this part of the world had grown up much too quickly in the past few years. People like Kagome, who wasn't really much older than the girl standing before him, but who had seen and done things she never could have imagined a short while ago. But somehow, this forced loss of innocence had managed to avoid Koharu. Even as terrible things happened upon her doorstep, even as armies swarmed her hometown, even as a sleazy spy smooth-talked her into giving up her virginity for a one-night-stand (or so he thought), she merely wove these occurrences into her own rose-colored perspective of what life was supposed to be.

But everybody had to grow up sometime.

"You'd better sit down," he said gravely.

She complied.

Miroku paced the room once or twice, choosing his approach, and Koharu followed him with her eyes, her gaze puzzled, her manner uncertain. Finally he began: "Look, I'm not really sure how to say this, but—I think you may have…gotten the wrong idea about our relationship. And it's not your fault," he added quickly, in a somewhat vain attempt to follow Sango's advice, "it's mine. I shouldn't have…led you on, the way I did. In fact, I shouldn't have even made a move on you in the first place. It wasn't right – it wasn't fair to you."

"I don't understand," Koharu replied, a bit of a nervous quiver in her voice. "If it's the difference in our ages, I've already told you that doesn't matter to me. And if you're worried that you're somehow putting me in danger, I don't care about that either. I _love_ you."

"No, Koharu, it's not that." He knelt before her, taking her hands in his in what one might call a brotherly fashion. "That night, when I—when we were together, I wasn't looking for a relationship – I was looking for a warm body on a cold night. And I've regretted ever since that I deceived you into thinking otherwise."

That was when the shocked tears began to well in her eyes. "Then," she whispered, "you don't love me?"

Miroku grimaced at the hurt in her voice. "No…I don't. I'm in love with the cranky old lady with the brown hair…"

He watched her silently as she closed her eyes, tears spilling over. She sobbed quietly a couple of times, snagging quick breaths. Then, all of a sudden, he saw her expression tighten, and thought perhaps she was drawing on some inner strength she'd had yet to discover, that she would pull herself together and put on a mask of dignity.

But instead, she slapped him hard across the face. "You bastard!" she burst out furiously, standing abruptly and turning to glare at him where he sat, stunned on the floor, fingering his tender jaw. "How could you— Why would you—how could you do this to me? God, I feel like such a fool—and all this time, you were in love with someone else?" She released a growl of frustration, blinking angry tears from her lashes all the while.

"Look, I really—" Miroku began, getting to his feet, but she cut him off swiftly, her voice softer, but no less dangerous.

"No, don't – don't try to explain. God, I've seen this happen before, a million times…I just never thought it would be happening to me."

Koharu stared into the heavy silence of the room, and Miroku wondered for a moment if he ought to just give her some privacy – but before he could make a move toward the door, she spoke again, though her eyes remained unfocused.

"It's nothing like I expected it to be," she murmured. "Isn't this supposed to be the part where I realize I didn't really want you after all? That there's someone better waiting just out of sight?"

Miroku's brow furrowed slightly as he tried to figure out just what she was talking about.

"You know – like when Scarlett realizes that Ashley wasn't the one for her after all, or when Emma realizes that she doesn't care that Frank Churchill is engaged because she's been in love with Mr. Knightly all along anyway."

"Ah…sure," Miroku offered, although these names meant absolutely nothing to him whatsoever. He'd ask Sango later…

"But with me it's different," Koharu continued, meeting Miroku's gaze at last, "because you were my Rhett, my Mr. Knightly. And there's no one waiting around the corner for me."

Although he wasn't familiar with the references, the sentiment could not have been clearer – and Miroku could derive no response.

"I'll see you around, Miroku," Koharu murmured, turning and slipping out the door, leaving him alone in her quarters.

On the other side of the door, Koharu nearly collided with the poor infirm Hojo, who looked as though he had a few things on his mind himself. "Oh – sorry," she apologized quickly, though he barely acknowledged her, continuing on his way. She watched him disappear around the bend, her own problems set aside for the moment as she wondered what could possibly have him so distracted. After all, he'd been reunited with the woman he loved – what could be wrong?

* * *

_He glanced down at their interlaced fingers, their hands resting on her knee, against the rose-printed fabric of her skirt. Lifting his arm slowly, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles, as though such a simple gesture could possibly make this any easier. But he couldn't look her in the eye._

"_You really have to go, don't you," Kagome murmured, her voice blank and laced with resignation._

"_Yeah," Hojo replied, still not meeting her gaze. All he could see was that field of roses nestled in a background of soft white cotton. "It's the right thing to do – you know it is. And anyway, they say the war will be over before long. I'll be home before you know it, and we'll pick up right where we left off. I promise."_

_She compelled him to look at her with a hand against his cheek, and he reluctantly complied – but at the sight of her face, all at once he felt his heart grow lighter. It was easier to believe that what he said was true when he saw her sitting there before him. How could anything – in war or peace – ever keep them apart, when they were this close?_

_Her dark hair, curled slightly at the ends, was held back by twin rose-colored clips at the sides of her head, cascading down to rest gently upon her shoulders. Her dress was pristine and sleeveless, with a square collar and a fitted bodice that led to a wide, knee-length skirt. On her feet were white, patent-leather, open-toed sling-backs with modest, dainty heels. "I'll wait for you," she murmured._

This was how he remembered her. For three years she'd been wearing that rose-printed dress and waving goodbye to him outside the front door of the café. When he was lonesome for her, he tucked a strand of that soft, ebony hair behind her ear, and watched her smile for him. When he was afraid, he felt her fingers squeeze his hand in her gently reassuring manner. He knew every facet of her appearance so well, he could picture her in his sleep.

But try as he might, he couldn't for the life of him picture her with another man.

Granted, it didn't help that he had no idea what her Nazi officer "friend" or that Allied pilot looked like – but no matter what image he managed to conjure up, he just couldn't see his sweet, wonderful, gentle Kagome being…_intimate_ with some stranger. It didn't sound like her – it didn't sound like the girl he'd known.

"_I'm not the same person I was when you left…"_

Seeing her as she was now, her hair arranged neatly and efficiently at the nape of her neck, her wardrobe consisting largely of spare army uniforms, and her countenance harder, more solid and weathered than before, he began to wonder if perhaps she was right. Maybe he had been expecting to come home and somehow find her and Asile exactly as they had been when he'd left, as though somehow impervious to the outside world. They had been, once.

He'd never seen her in slacks before now. He wondered if she even still had that rose-printed dress.

A soft knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts, and he raised himself up on one elbow on his cot. "Yes?"

"It's me," said Kagome, appearing around the edge of the door, closing it behind her. "I just thought I ought to tell you that I'm—I'm going on the mission."

"What?" he replied, aghast, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "You can't be serious, Kagome – it's out of the question."

"Hojo please," she said wearily, "don't start this now. There's really nothing you can do to stop me, and I've made my decision, so let's not argue, alright?"

"No, it's not alright. Kagome, you don't know what it's like out there. The battlefield is no place for a woman."

"Well, I happen to believe that it's no place for a _man_ either – that the world would be better off without _any_ battlefields altogether – but that's not really an option right now, is it? This is the situation we're presented with, and I have to do what I feel is right. I have to go."

"_You really have to go, don't you," _he heard her say, in the voice of her younger self. But this time he was the one being left behind – and without a promise of return.

He bowed his head, resigned, and then pushed himself off from the bed to stand, turning to face her. "I guess I already knew that. Just…be careful. I know from experience that these things don't always turn out quite the way you think they will."

She gave him a small smile and a nod. "I will."

He took a step toward her. "And please, don't forget that…I love you."

At that, she looked up, seeming to consider him for a moment. "Do you, though? Or do you just—_remember_ loving me…"

To that, he could muster no reply. He barely noticed when she exited the room once more.

* * *

At dawn the following morning, thirty Resistance agents – including Kagome, Miroku, Sango (who had insisted on joining the detail the moment she learned that Kagome had been allowed to do so), and Tieresias, and led by Henri – left the bunker in the dim light and headed southeast. 

At roughly the same time, a convoy carrying a regiment of paratroopers – led by Lieutenant Inuyasha Montague – took flight from a London air base, their destination on a similar heading.

Meanwhile, in supposed secrecy, an entire German battalion – led by General Naraku himself – migrated westward toward the decimated little hamlet of Ville du Pont.

* * *

A/N: So…yeah! That's all for now. I'm dead tired, and I have been through this chapter a couple of times, but I must admit that I simply did not have the energy to comb through it one final time, with all the changes in place. So if there are any remaining errors…oops! Sorry! Okay, goodnight now… (_sooo tired…_) 


	22. Fragments

Author's Note: This is the final regular chapter of _Missing in Action_ (though it will be followed by and epilogue, which is yet to come). Once again, I apologize in advance for the almost certain presence of inaccuracies and anachronisms. I'm a music major – I don't claim to be a history expert (though I do have a great fondness for the subject… --grin--).

Anyway, enjoy…

(Note: minor correction made 1/23/06, thanks to Varethane's sharp eye…)

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 22: Fragments

They could hear the sounds of battle up ahead, growing ever closer as they walked. In her nervousness, Kagome checked her equipment repeatedly to see that she had everything she needed, and to distract herself from what was to come. Despite her brave words, the fact of the matter was that she had never actually been in a combat situation. Although she had experienced danger in her work as a spy, there had always been the protective veneer of strategy and intrigue to cling to. Even when her cover was blown, there had been reasons for the enemy to keep her alive, ways for her to finesse an escape.

In battle, there were no such safeguards: a bullet didn't ask questions before tearing into one's chest.

She concentrated on the sounds nearby instead – the swish of her army issue green cargo pant legs as they brushed repeatedly against one another; the dull clomp of heavy combat boots hitting the soil unevenly around her. Once in awhile she tugged agitatedly at the neck of her black turtleneck.

"Are you alright?" came a voice from just over her left shoulder – and there stood Tieresias.

She tried to smile, but she could feel the strain in her expression as she did so. "Fine," she tried again, though her very tone of voice betrayed her.

The old man nodded knowingly. "I see," he murmured, looking straight ahead – though she could still see the curve of a smile beneath his gray beard. After a moment of silence he spoke again, conversationally. "You know, I fought in The Great War, years ago – in the trenches up north. Scariest thing I ever did – if the bullets didn't get you, then the gas or the disease or the shell-shock probably would. Why, at Verdun alone they say there were about a million casualties."

"I'm sorry," Kagome interrupted, regarding him in puzzlement, "Is this supposed to be helping?"

He chuckled amiably and continued. "I'm getting there, I promise. The thing is that the worst part was that none of us even really knew what we were fighting _for_. It was like dominoes: An Archduke was killed in Serbia, and before we knew it an entire continent was at war.

"War isn't like that these days," he said seriously, glancing over at her. "This time we know what's at stake. And it isn't just about politics or alliances – it's about protecting those things which we hold most dear." He paused again, returning his gaze to the path ahead. "I met my wife during that war, you know."

Kagome peered over at him, trying to read his expression, but she couldn't seem to put a name to it. Then he smiled and chuckled again.

"Best cure for shell-shock is knowing that you have something worth fighting for."

She smiled back and opened her mouth to respond – but before she had the chance, the train-like whistle of incoming artillery rent the air and they were all forced to the ground. They had arrived.

Dirt and shell fragments filled the air over their heads, and Kagome blinked and coughed, trying to make out the orders that Henri was shouting over the noise.

"Get across the bridge and fill in the gaps! Let's move, move, move!"

The ragtag bunch of them scrambled to their feet and rushed en masse across the frighteningly exposed bridge, everyone scattering for cover upon reaching the opposite bank.

Kagome ducked quickly behind an old overturned jeep as shards of concrete exploded over her head. Her breathing was sharp and ragged, and for a moment, she sat shaking with her back pressed against the sun-baked metal, pulling herself together. _Something worth fighting for_, she repeated to herself, _Something worth fighting for… _

As she ran in a crouch from one protective pile of debris to the next, her heart pounded rebelliously against her ribcage as though attempting to escape her body, while enemy shells made contact nearby. Gradually, she made her way forward, aiming for a wide, freestanding column near the edge of the square. It had probably once helped to support the upper floor of the building just behind it, but there was no longer an upper floor to support.

Crossing the last few feet, she leaned gratefully back against the solid stone of the column, immediately turning back in the direction she had come to check on the status of the others behind her. Seeing that they seemed to be alright, she leaned her head back and tried to catch her runaway breath. Just then, she felt a movement beside her, and she whirled her head in the other direction to come face to face with Inuyasha.

"Kagome!" he shouted in mixed surprise and anger. "What the hell do you think you're doing here!" he demanded.

"I'm with the—" gasp, "—Resistance unit. We came to—" gasp, "—help you."

"I know that, dammit!" he shouted back, but broke off momentarily to pull her against him and shield them both from the debris of a shell impact, just a few feet from the pillar behind which they stood. "I meant why the hell did you come with them?"

"Because I heard you were leading the mission," she shot back firmly. "I wasn't about to go letting you die on me again."

"How did you know?" he asked, bemused.

"Hojo told me when he brought the news to the Resistance."

"Who the hell is Hoj—wait a minute, _Hojo?_" he amended, the name clicking into place. "I thought he was supposed to be dead!"

"So did I—look, do we really need to be talking about this right now?" Kagome shouted over the general cacophony. "I don't know if you've noticed, but—" they both ducked instinctively as the whistle and boom of another shell thundered nearby, "—we're in the middle of a battle."

"Right," Inuyasha agreed. "You stay here, alright? And for fuck's sake, don't go doing anything stupid!"

"And just what are _you_ going to do?" she countered.

"I'm going in to find Naraku – I have orders to assassinate him."

"Oh no you don't," she said, grabbing his arm when he tried to turn away and leave. "I'm coming with you."

"The hell you are!" he yelled. "You shouldn't even be here in the first place – and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you get hurt."

"I don't care what you say, I'm coming with you – end of story," she stated firmly.

For a moment they merely glared at each other, each willing the other to back down, until finally Inuyasha conceded. "Fine – damn stubborn wench. But you sure as hell better not go and get yourself killed. If you do," his voice softened seriously, "I'll never forgive you…"

She returned a brief smile before murmuring, "Ditto…"

* * *

Bullets filled the air like deadly gnats, whipping over their heads and ricocheting off remnants of what had once been a town.

"Is it too late to call a truce?" Miroku questioned wryly. Sango darted him a look before turning to the second in command of the troops, who was currently shouting incomprehensible orders to his men.

"We're Resistence – how can we help, Sir?" she asked seriously.

The man turned to her, mildly surprised. "You folks made it? Great – anyone in your group have experience with explosives?"

"We've got some training," Miroku volunteered. "What do you need?"

"We have to rig the bridge so we can blow it on our way out – if you can handle that it would free up more of my men to hold off the vanguard. If we don't get out of here before their next regiment gets here, we're sunk."

"Got it – we'll take care of it," Sango confirmed, turning back to Miroku. "So – any ideas?"

The bridge was approximately twenty yards from where they sat in the protective cover of a sandbag-edged ditch that served as their side's makeshift base of operations. Between here and there were a few negligible havens and a good deal of open space. Well, open except for the hail of artillery raining down upon them. It had been easier to reach this spot from the bridge before, since they had been traveling in a group, and thus had been less exposed – but now all the others had spread out and joined the fighting.

"The river," said Miroku, and Sango frowned at him, nonplussed.

"Hm?"

"We can use the river. Look – if we head right from here and get into the shade of that building, we'll be out of the line of fire. Then we—"

"Head for the riverbank and follow it back up to the bridge," Sango finished. "I knew there was a reason I loved you."

They scurried awkwardly along the ditch as far as they could, dropping to their stomachs in the dirt and covering their heads when an explosion hit nearby, and then picking themselves up again and continuing forward. A young man was hit just as Sango was passing and he collapsed backward into her, writhing in pain. They paused briefly to see that he would be alright, and although he was bleeding quite a lot, the bullet had only struck his shoulder – a medic was there to patch him up in a flash.

One at a time they crossed the gap between the edge of the ditch and the wall at a sprint, both gasping for breath once there. Then they swung in a wide arc down to the riverbank, both darting harried glances over their shoulders until finally they skidded down into the riverbed.

"Are you okay?" Sango asked, leaning her head back a moment, eyes closed.

"Fine – you?"

"Perfect – let's go."

The mud and water sloshed and stuck to their boots as they ran along the edge of the river at a crouch, careful to keep below sightlines until they reached the bridge at last.

"Dr. Livingston, I presume," Miroku greeted the men breathlessly. The nearest soldier gave him a 'what the hell are you talking about?' look, which he waved away impatiently. "Never mind – we'll take over here."

* * *

It was eerily quiet, the dark interior of one of the few buildings in the town that had been left largely intact a great contrast from the smoke-filled sunlight of the outside world. The sounds of the battle, though still audible, were muffled and distant, only bringing the frightening stillness of the building into sharper relief.

The place looked as though it had once been some sort of factory turned office-building, though it had clearly been gutted long ago – probably around the time of the first battle that had taken place here. Still, it couldn't have been in great condition even before that – the paint was peeled and stained, the walls cracked, and in some places fallen ceiling beams seemed to indicated that the wood had rotted straight though. Everything was covered in a layer of dust and grime.

Inuyasha paused at the edge of a doorway, his handgun raised before him, and signaled Kagome to stop with his other hand. After peaking around the edge of the doorframe and apparently satisfying himself that the room was empty, he signaled her to follow him in.

Kagome, for her part, clutched the handle of her own gun a bit more tightly, her wide, sharp eyes darting around, trying to watch all of the shadows at once.

They crossed the room to the doorway opposite, which led to yet another hallway. Inuyasha checked both directions once again, and signaled her to follow him – but she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. When he glanced back at her, she whispered, "We'll have better luck if we split up."

"What?" he whispered back harshly. "Hell no – you're staying with me."

"Inuyasha, don't worry about me. I'm a spy, remember? I can take care of myself."

In the dim light she could see the battle taking place across his features: He was extremely reluctant to let her go off on her own, but he also knew that she was right – they would be able to find Naraku more quickly if they split up.

In an effort to nudge him to the decision he already knew was the right one, Kagome whispered, "When I asked to come on this mission, I promised I wouldn't let my personal feelings get in the way of what had to be done." She grazed his cheek with her knuckles, brushed a loose strand of silver back from his face. "You need to do the same."

He gazed back at her a moment longer, before finally nodding his assent. Reaching out, he squeezed her shoulder gently; then pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. She kissed him back with equal fervor, relishing the feel of him in her arms again, and praying that it wouldn't be for the last time.

Then, without another word, they parted, going their separate ways.

Kagome crept stealthily along the hallway, keeping close to the wall, her senses straining to detect anything out of the ordinary. Her heart seemed to writhe in her chest as she approached the corner; peaking around the edge to see that the way was clear, she continued forward.

On and on she walked. It seemed as though it had been hours since they'd parted, though it could only really have been a matter of minutes. Then again, in the insidious stillness of this place, time itself seemed to have been subjugated to the will of the enemy.

She rounded yet another corner into a small room that looked as though it might once have been an office. Its window was boarded up, the large hulking shadow of an old wardrobe the only remaining item of furniture.

A pistol cocked, and Kagome whirled to come face to face with Kikyo, each pointing her weapon at the other's heart. A shot rang out, and Kagome let out a scream that was suddenly silenced.

* * *

Sango grunted as her foot slipped out from under her in the wet soil of the riverbank, causing her to flatten against the slanted ground again.

"You okay Sango?" Miroku called, glancing over his shoulder from his position near one of the other supports of the bridge. He was thigh deep in the water, struggling to attach a bundle of explosives to his pillar.

"Fine – it's just a bit slippery over here. I've almost got it though. How are you doing?"

An explosion rent the air above them as a shell impacted the earth not far from the bridge, and they winced against the resulting sound and dust.

"Just have one left to do, then we can attach the detonator," Miroku called back over the ringing in his ears.

They worked as quickly as possible, trying to ignore the shaking of the earth and the occasional screams of their friends and comrades. This was made easier by the deafening sound of explosions and gunfire, which drowned out nearly everything else.

Once they had the dynamite rigged up, they connected the wires so they would run from the explosives to the detonator, which had been planted in the brush on the opposite bank.

At last, both lying in the dirt on the incline that made up the east bank of the river where it came up to meet the bridge, they finished making the last connection. With a sigh, Sango rolled to her back, unbothered by the fact that her head was resting in the mud. She was covered in it from head to foot, so it made little difference at this point. For a moment, she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the battle thundering behind them, oddly calm.

"Miroku?" she said at last, opening her eyes and meeting his where he lay propped up on an elbow beside her.

"Yes Sango?"

"I just wanted to tell you that—if I have to die here…" she brushed away his soiled bangs and cupped his cheek in her hand, "I'm glad it's with you. I mean, not that I would want you to _die_—it's just that, well…what I meant to say was—"

He interrupted her with a laugh, nodding. "I know what you meant."

For a moment, it was as though the thundering of the cannons and the stench of death that permeated the place couldn't reach them there, lying in the dirt in the shelter of the stone bridge. All they saw or heard or felt was each other.

He kissed her gently, pulling her into his arms, and the two of them held onto each other as tightly as they could.

"I love you, Sango," he murmured in her ear, knowing that no matter how many times he said those words to her, it would never be enough.

* * *

The stairwell tapered off into darkness below him, but he continued forward, undaunted. He kept ears pricked for any signs of encroaching danger – and, admittedly, for Kagome's calls for help, should she get into trouble.

Eventually the dull thunk of his boots against the wooden steps gave way to the thick sound of concrete beneath his feet – he had reached the basement. The walls no longer bore paint or wallboard, but were instead made of bare cinderblocks and wooden beams. Rounding the corner to the right at the bottom of the stairs, he could see patches of yellowish light in the darkness up ahead – and where there was light, there must be a source.

Ever so slowly and silently he crept along the dank passageway, following the light. At last, rounding the next bend, he found a door cracked just wide enough for a splash of gold to spill out onto the concrete. Pushing the door aside gently, willing it not to squeak, he slipped through the gap.

The room was cavernous compared to the rest of the building, and bathed in the color of sunset and shadows. There were old crates stacked haphazardly around the edge of the room, partially obscuring it from view – but from what he could see, the center of the floor was clear. The light in the space flickered occasionally, and Inuyasha saw that it emanated from a number of oil lamps set in various places around the room.

A shot ricocheted off the wall just over Inuyasha's left ear, and he hurled himself instinctively behind the stack of crates to his right. Heart pounding in his ears, he peered out over the top of the crate, trying to locate his assailant. Another shot rang out and he ducked once more. _Where the hell is he?_ he demanded silently. Popping up again, he fired two shots off in the direction of the others, hoping to drive the attacker out of hiding, then ducked quickly as more weapons fire rang in his direction, this time from a slightly different position – whoever it was was closing in on him.

_Dammit_, he thought fiercely, and began weaving his way through the crates carefully, looking for a better angle. A shot fired again, and he ducked, but this time the shooter was further off the mark, not having been able to pin down the hanyou's new position. Inuyasha found a small gap in the crates and peered out into the room, looking for any signs of movement. The flicker of a shadow caught his eye and he fired twice, but had to duck once again when three more shots hit in his direction.

His location compromised, he moved again, finding another niche and searching for his target. Then his saw it – the dull sheen of a gun barrel peeking out from behind the jumble of packing crates over in the corner. But before he had a chance to pull the trigger, a bullet stuck his own weapon, knocking it from his hand. It skittered across the floor, landing on the concrete ten feet away in the middle of the room.

Inuyasha dropped to the floor and covered his head to shield himself from the additional gunfire. _Goddamnfuckingsonofabitch_, he cursed silently to himself, furious. He had two choices: either he could run out there and grab the gun and try not to get killed in the process, or he could make a dash for the exit. But the only door to the room was in plain sight of his attacker's last known location – he was pretty much running the risk of getting killed either way. And when Inuyasha had a choice between a strategic escape and an insanely reckless feat of heroics, he usually chose the latter.

He _almost_ made it too.

"Don't move," came the coldly threatening voice, accompanied by the equally coldly threatening sound of a pistol cocking. Inuyasha froze in mid-step, his own weapon still out of reach.

There before him, eyes like blood boring into Inuyasha's countenance and rooting him to the spot, was General Naraku.

Far off, somewhere on the floor above, a gunshot and a female scream echoed grotesquely, and Inuyasha's heart leapt in terror. No – no, it couldn't have been…

"You thought you could kill me, did you?" the tall, gaunt man said, his mouth twisting into a malevolent smile seemingly unconcerned by the sound. "Thought you could catch me unawares?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, but merely continued to meet the man's gaze defiantly, teeth gritted. He was barely even listening to the words being spoken, focusing all of his energy on convincing himself that that scream had not belonged to Kagome.

"Whatever could have led you to believe that you could outsmart me?" Naraku continued, unconcerned, "Of the two of us, which has ever been betrayed? Which has been so blinded by the affections of a woman that he did not realize that she was lying to him through her teeth? Which has been thus deceived…twice?"

He let the silence drag out, the air thin and brittle with tension, and growing thinner by the minute. They both knew how this would end – it was only a matter of time. And time was on Naraku's side.

"That is the weakness of the Allies," the pale man drawled smugly, for he seemed determined to torture his prey before delivering the merciful relief of death, "Trust. Trust gives power to the unworthy, makes us less than what we might otherwise be by allowing others to control us. The wise collect it from others, but do not dole it out. A bit of advice for you to remember in your next life, Inuyasha: Trust no one but yourself." With that, he raised his weapon to take aim, and Inuyasha's mind raced, grasping in panic for some method of escape. But just then—

"Wait," came a sharp, dark, female voice from the shadows. The click of Italian heels against the concrete floor echoed around the room, and there was Kikyo looking none the worse for wear in a tailored black skirt suit, her gun pointing directly at Inuyasha's heart.

But if Kikyo was here, then that must mean that Kagome…

"I assume you've taken care of the other one?" Naraku asked blithely.

"My double? She's dead," Kikyo replied bluntly.

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely – I put a bullet between her eyes myself."

A cruel smile twisted his lips. "Excellent."

"May I do the honors? I always enjoy extinguishing an old flame," she said with a coy raise of an eyebrow, raising her pistol and supporting it with a second hand for better aim at the hanyou.

"Of course, my dear," Naraku replied.

Inuyasha's eyes fixed on the barrel of the gun, then on the face of the woman he had once loved; the woman who had made his world and then destroyed it – more than once; the woman who had killed Kagome. It was over – the battle was lost. He was going to die, and now he didn't even care – because what good was a life without her in it?

He could only hope that the others would succeed where he had failed, that his blunder would not lose them the war.

It happened too quickly. He felt the bullet tear his flesh – but strangely, Kikyo was no longer aiming her weapon at him. How had he been shot if she wasn't aiming at him? And what was she aiming at?

His mind whirled with pain, confusion, and the haze brought on by rapid blood loss. Falling to his knees, he clutched at the tear in his side, focusing all his energy into continuing to breathe, fighting to remain conscious. That was when he noticed it: Naraku was sprawled motionless on the ground where he had previously stood.

Kikyo had shot Naraku instead.

The floor seemed to come up to meet him, and Inuyasha gaped up at the ceiling, trying unsuccessfully to process the information. Kikyo had betrayed Naraku?

And then, somehow, Kikyo herself was there, hovering over him, a worried expression on her face. Inuyasha frowned – no…no, that couldn't be. Kikyo had left him, had betrayed him, had plotted against him. Kikyo wanted him dead. Kikyo didn't worry tearfully over him when he was injured, didn't brush the hair from his face and stroke his cheek.

"Inuyasha," the woman murmured, wearing an expression of genuine concern that Inuyasha doubted Kikyo had ever worn in her entire life.

"Kagome…" he murmured back, the pieces falling into place.

She gave him a watery smile, drawing a hitched breath. "Gotcha," she shrugged weakly. A tear fell onto his cheek, and she brushed it away. "Don't worry Inuyasha – you're going to be fine. You're…you're going to be just fine…"

He wasn't sure whether she was trying to convince him or herself. "What happened?"

"Naraku fired just as I did," she explained. "He must have realized what I was doing a split second before I was able to finish him off, and fired instinctively. Inuyasha, I'm so sorry…"

"Sorry?" he said, weakly bemused. "You saved my life, Kagome – in more ways than one."

She smiled softly and whispered, "Just returning the favor."

Somewhere far away – or perhaps not so far, but only dimmed by his waning consciousness – he heard footsteps pounding, equipment clattering. "US army!" called a bodiless voice to no one in particular, and Kagome looked up toward the ceiling and called back.

"We're down here!"

Inuyasha noticed his eyes were closed, and blinked them open; but before long everything went dark and silent as he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

The order had been given and the men were retreating, thundering over the stone bridge as fast as their feet could carry them, occasionally turning to pick off an enemy soldier that was getting too close. Some didn't make it, hit by enemy bullets when their backs were turned and falling into the river below. Once over the bridge they scattered into the woods beyond for cover to wait for their comrades. Meanwhile, Miroku and Sango waited in the brush of the west riverbank for the order to detonate the bridge.

"There's Kagome!" Sango hissed, pointing out the young woman amid a group of allied soldiers who were working their way back toward the bridge from further into town, hiding where they could and sprinting from haven to haven.

"And isn't that Inuyasha?" Miroku pointed out, noticing the limp form being carried by one of the larger soldiers.

"Oh my god, you're right – I hope he's alright," Sango said, clutching Miroku's hand tightly.

When the last of the Allied soldiers and Resistance agents had made it across the bridge, and the Germans were encroaching upon it, a voice called out from the woods: "Now!"

"This is it," Miroku said; and he and Sango pushed the handle together, throwing themselves flat to the ground and covering their heads to protect from any stray debris.

"Let's go!" Sango shouted as soon as the initial danger had passed, and the two of them got to their feet and hurtled into the woods, enemy fire at their heels.

The trees and brush rustled with the sound of scattering soldiers, and shouted orders, everyone making their way as quickly as they could to the rendezvous point. At last they came upon a clearing that was being used as a makeshift runway, planes landing one at a time to pick up passengers and evacuate them from the area.

"Injured get first priority!" a man who seemed to be in charge of coordinating things was shouting, "Move, move, move!"

"This one didn't make it – move on," said a voice just behind them, and Sango turned to where a couple of medics were doing triage to see Tieresias stretched out glassy-eyed upon the ground.

"Oh my god," she whispered in shock, staring transfixed at the old man's body.

Miroku, following her gaze, echoed her sentiment with a mumbled oath.

They were jolted out of their sudden grief by a passing soldier who was hurrying toward the nearest plane with another man limping along beside him – there was no time to mourn just now. Then, across the field, they spotted Inuyasha being loaded onto one of the planes in a stretcher, Kagome climbing in after him.

"Kagome!" Sango called out, running toward the plane, and the young woman turned at the sound of her voice.

"Sango!" she called back, "Miroku! Thank god you're alright, I was so worried." She and Sango embraced tightly.

"How about Inuyasha – is he…?" Sango began.

"He'll be alright once we get him to the hospital – I'm going with him," Kagome replied, looking worried but confident.

Sango nodded, saying quietly, "We'll be going back to the bunker," and she and Kagome embraced again. "Be careful."

"You too," Kagome returned. Then she turned away resolutely and climbed into the plane, only looking back as the door was shut behind her.

Miroku and Sango moved away to a safe distance, and Miroku wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind, a comfort which she gratefully accepted. Together they watched as the plane took off, and the woman who had been like a sister to Sango for as long as she could remember disappeared beyond the clouds.

* * *

The doctors assured her that he was out of the woods, and that he would make a full recovery as long as he was allowed to rest properly. Nonetheless, Kagome had not left his side since their arrival in London. She had a book propped against her knee, but she couldn't focus on it for more than a few minutes at a time, always finding her attention drawn back to his sleeping face.

A quiet noise from the hospital bed beside her drew her gaze up from the book once more, and there she was relieved to see blurry golden eyes peering back at her.

"Where am I?" Inuyasha asked in a voice grown rusty from grogginess and disuse.

"The army hospital in London," Kagome explained, putting a hand comfortingly on Inuyasha's arm and squeezing it gently with a smile. "You're going to be just fine."

He gave a vague nod, watching her mutely as he seemed to be trying to put together the pieces of a fragmented memory. "What happened?" he asked at last.

"Well, you were shot when—"

"No, no," he interrupted, "I mean, how did you—what did…how did you manage…"

"Oh," Kagome said, smiling somewhat sheepishly. "You mean what happened before that. Well—I ran into Kikyo after we split up, and I…I killed her, and traded clothes with her, hoping that that would allow me to get close enough to Naraku to kill him before he realized who I was. When I saw that he was about to kill you, I…I just sort of went with my instincts…"

"But," he said, puzzled, "the scream – I could have sworn it sounded like—"

"Yes – that was me. She startled me; I hardly even had time to think, and before I knew it I'd fired, and there she was, on the floor…" Kagome trailed off.

Inuyasha was silent for a moment, then asked in a voice void of expression, "So Kikyo is dead then?"

Kagome nodded silently, watching his reaction. He seemed to notice her careful scrutiny and gave her a brief, if weak, smile. "Don't worry about it – I'm alright. I just…don't think I would have been able to do it myself, that's all. And I was thinking about that argument we had before – the day before I left the bunker, when I accused you of still having feelings for Kouga, because you hadn't been able to kill him when you'd had the chance."

"Yes?" Kagome prompted when he paused.

"Well," Inuyasha continued, somewhat reluctantly, "what I never told you was that I did the exact same thing."

The woman frowned slightly, wondering what he was getting at.

"Back in Asile, while I was being held captive, I incapacitated a couple of guards and I had Kikyo at gunpoint. She was unarmed, and she had the antidote to the poison they had injected me with. I could easily have killed her then and there, but instead I took the antidote and ran. I couldn't bring myself to kill her."

Kagome smiled down at him comfortingly. "Well, that makes you a hypocrite, Inuyasha – but nothing worse than that."

He looked back at her, puzzled. "You're not angry? Think of all the trouble I could have saved us both by killing her."

"But think of all the opportunities you saved us by _not_ doing so," Kagome pointed out. "If you had killed Kikyo then and there, Naraku might have abandoned her part of the plan altogether and killed me as well, instead of sending me on that strange mission of his. And if it hadn't been for Kikyo's presence at Ville du Pont, I wouldn't have had the means to get close enough to Naraku to kill him and save your life."

"But—" he protested, but she interrupted him.

"And besides, I don't know about you, but I don't generally make a habit of faulting people for _not_ killing other human beings," Kagome finished with a smile.

Inuyasha couldn't help himself – he smiled back.

They fell silent for a short while, during which time Kagome laced her fingers with his and squeezed his hand affectionately. Then his brow furrowed slightly, as though something had just occurred to him, and Kagome questioned curiously, "Is something wrong."

Inuyasha peered back at her. "When I first saw you in Ville du Pont—didn't you say that Hojo had told you I was going to be on the mission?"

Kagome's eyes widened slightly, recalling suddenly that they had not yet finished this conversation. "Ah…yes, yes I did."

"And that would be Hojo, your old fiancé from the diary?" Inuyasha clarified.

"Yeah…"

"The one who's supposed to have been dead for three years?" he clarified once again.

"Yep, that's the one…" Kagome confirmed.

"Uh huh," Inuyasha mumbled, considering. "Mind filling me in on the details there?"

Kagome snickered lightly at his ineptly disguised jealousy. "Well, it's a long story – and I don't actually know all of it – but the short version is that he and I have broken things off for good this time, despite the fact that he's alive."

"I see," he said, still watching her. "Any particular reason?"

"Well, other than the fact that he'd been expecting to come back to the same girl he'd left, there was also the little matter of my being in love with someone else."

He grinned. "Anyone I know?"

She grinned back, shrugging coyly. "Could be, Flyboy…"

And that was when the Flyboy drew the Spy down for a gentle kiss.

* * *

A/N: It's done! I can't believe it!

Well, okay, it's not _completely_ done – I do still have the epilogue to write – but the body of the story is complete. Yay! You have no idea how wonderful it feels to finally be finishing this story.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it (in fact, I hope you've enjoyed reading it a good deal _more_ than I enjoyed writing parts of it, because if not I would wonder why you're still here…). It's certainly not perfect (and I would argue that it's not even all that good), but it's fun, and that's good enough for me. And I have to admit, I had a lot more fun writing this last chapter than I thought I would. In general, I'm not great at the action scenes (which begs the question of why on _earth_ I would chose to write a story set in WWII – and the answer is "who the hell knows?"), but this one seemed to actually turn out relatively okay, surprisingly (I think – hard for me to tell though, since I can't read it objectively). And I like this version of the little "showdown" with Naraku much better than my original version, which I had sort of stolen from the end of the Kyoto Arc of _Rurouni Kenshin_. I had this set up where Naraku is aiming a gun at Inuyasha, and Kagome is aiming at Naraku, and then Kikyo runs in to shield Naraku and everybody fires, so Kikyo gets hit both by Kagome's bullet coming in (which goes through her and hits Naraku) and Naraku's bullet coming out (which goes through her and hits Inuyasha). Then the idea was that Naraku and Kikyo would have this weird little farewell scene as they both bleed to death (Kikyo, of course, happy to die for the sake of Naraku's cause – now do you see how I stole it from RuroKen?), and Kag and Inu would have pretty much the same scene they had here.

But I like this new version of the scene _much_ better. It was _so_ much more fun to do…

So…yeah. I might give a few more notes on things I did/didn't do in the author's notes at the end of the epilogue if I come up with anything that seems like it might be interesting. This story has changed so much since my initial planning of it (I think I've said before that in the original outline, the scene with Kouga on the train was supposed to have been the climax…heh…). We'll see – bye now!

(Oh, one more thing: Up until the very last draft of the chapter, after the line where Inuyasha says, "Who the hell is Hoj—wait a minute, _Hojo?_ I thought he was supposed to be dead!" I had typed in brackets the words, 'Well that never stopped Kikyo…' – lol)


	23. Epilogue

Author's Note: After two long years, it's finally finished! I can hardly believe it. I thought about waiting an extra week and posting this on the anniversary of the day I posted the first chapter – but the idea of finally being able to put this story in the "Completed" pile was just too irresistible to pass up. Anyway, why make people wait if it's ready now?

Oh – and I actually did do research this time, so the first section at least should be historically accurate. I did not, however, do a final run-through of the chapter for lack of time and energy, so hopefully I haven't made any horrible mistakes of a literary nature. If you see any, feel free to point them out…

**Missing In Action**

Epilogue

On June 6, 1944, the first wave of Allied soldiers landed on the shores of Normandy, and began the push inward toward Berlin. With the Soviets mounting a similar offensive from the East, the Nazi forces found themselves being squeezed ever more tightly, their lines weakening and the borders of their control slowly shrinking inward.

Over the course of several months, the Allies continued to advance. On August 19th the Parisian Resistance mounted an uprising, and by the 25th DeGaulle was leading a victory parade through the once again free streets of the French capital. One by one, towns and concentration camps across Europe were relieved of Nazi control, the survivors released at last to try to pick up the remnants of their shattered lives, or to start new ones in place of the old.

Soon, even the German forces were beginning to see that the situation was hopeless. Many soldiers surrendered to the Allies on the Western front, some of them fleeing from the East in hopes that the Americans would be more merciful than the Soviets (who had been known to shoot their _own_ men for retreating as easily as they would shoot the enemy). Meanwhile, Hitler retreated underground to a bunker located directly beneath the Chancellery building, along with his staff and his mistress, Eva Braun. When the situation continued to grow even more desperate, the Soviets creeping ever closer to Berlin, Hitler gave his officers leave to go. Only Eva and a select few of his supporters remained.

On April 28th, Eva Braun and Adolf Hitler were married. At 3:30 pm on April 30th, they both committed suicide – he with a gun to his right temple, and she by swallowing poison. Seven days later German forces surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, and on May 8th people tossed their hats in victory in Times Square, where a nameless sailor swept a nameless nurse into an impromptu kiss, and a camera clicked, immortalizing the moment for generations to follow.

By the time all of this was taking place, Inuyasha and Kagome were safe in London. Having decidedly done his duty for the war effort, Inuyasha was relieved from active service and allowed to recuperate from his injuries in the comfort of the apartment which the two of them now shared.

Miroku and Sango, on the other hand, did not get off as easily. They and the other occupants of the Resistance bunker soon found life becoming far more difficult than it had previously been. With the escalation in fighting and the gradual movement of the front back eastward, toward them, it became difficult to get supplies. Those stores that had been left in the bunker before its abandonment would only last so long, and there were certain necessities that had not been provided for at all. In addition, they soon began taking in refugees from nearby towns who were fleeing the fighting, so not only rations but space itself was at a premium. With so many people living on meager supplies in such close quarters in the heat of summer, disease ran rampant.

Mercifully, there were no fatalities among the residents, although Koharu was bedridden for nearly a month with a bad flu, delirious with fever. During this time, Sango noticed that Hojo spent a great deal of time by her bedside caring for her.

As France was liberated and the Germans were beaten back under the onslaught of the Allies, gradually the fighting passed them by, like a storm front finally receding to reveal a weary sun. That sun shone down upon a countryside ravaged not only by the occupation itself, but again by the destruction that ensued from the retreat. For awhile they all remained at the bunker, though the hardship was lessened somewhat by the fact that it was now safe to venture out into the world again. When the word at last reached them that Germany had surrendered and peace had been declared, they all celebrated joyously together one last time before dispersing, setting off in their own separate ways to begin the work of rebuilding the world that the war had destroyed.

The day that peace was declared, Inuyasha asked Kagome to marry him. They had virtually no money, what with the small salary he earned working behind a desk at London Allied Headquarters – a place he had never expected to find himself, though he turned out not to mind it much – and her waitressing wages from a small bar called "Hung Drawn & Quartered," which was near the Tower. Some might think it was "dishonorable" of him to propose without first seeing to it that he could make a decent living, but then again Inuyasha was no ordinary guy – and Kagome was no ordinary girl. Besides, Kagome had her suspicions that part of the reason he'd proposed so soon was because he thought an engagement ring might discourage all those soldiers down at the pub from hitting on her.

They were married in the summer of 1945 in a small ceremony before a Justice of the Peace, at which Sesshoumaru and his wife Kagura stood as their witnesses. They honeymooned in Scotland, at a little country bed and breakfast run by a retired engineer who liked to build model airplanes in his spare time, and his wife, who liked to bake rich chocolate pies in hers.

On August 6th, 1945, the Americans dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan; on the 9th they followed it with a similar attack on Nagasaki. At last, on September 2nd of 1945, the Japanese government signed the agreement of unconditional surrender, and World War II officially came to a close. That November, the Nuremburg war criminal trials began, and the world slowly found its center of balance once more.

Then one March evening in the spring of 1946, Kagome was sorting through the clutter that filled their tiny kitchen, and she came across the day's mail. There was a letter from her mother, who was now living in the States with her brother, wondering when Kagome might be able to come for a visit; and a couple of bills which they wouldn't be able to pay for at least another week or two; and finally, another letter – this one from Sango.

Kagome tore it open eagerly, sitting down at the kitchen table and leaning into better light. She hadn't seen or heard from Sango in nearly two years – not since the day of the battle at Ville du Pont. There had, of course, been no practical way of sending mail back and forth from the bunker, and Kagome hadn't had any idea where they had gone from there – or, she had tried very hard not to think, if they had even survived the rest of the war. Now, at the very least, she had proof that Sango was alive.

_My Dear Sister,_ the letter began, bringing a smile to Kagome's lips.

You're a hard woman to locate, you know that? I've been trying to get your address for months now, but the army kept sending me from one desk-jockey to another. Anyway, I gather from the information that I finally received that you are Mrs. Inuyasha Montague now? Congratulations! Miroku and I wish you both a world of happiness (though, knowing you two, it's likely to be a bit more interesting than that…).

I don't know how to even begin to pour two years' worth of news into one tiny letter. Two years – has it really been that long? So much has happened, and yet somehow it still seems like yesterday that we were pooling our allowances to stock up on chocolate covered cherries from La Chocolatrie. Miroku and I are back in Asile now, living in a small house near the edge of town – it's not much, but it's comfortable, and it suits us. We run a bakery up on Rue de Ruisseau, near where Hojo's family used to live when we were growing up.

Anyway, I suppose the real reason I'm writing now is to tell you that Miroku and I are engaged to be married. The wedding is being held next month, on the 6th of April – and we would be so happy if you and Inuyasha could be there.

Love Always,

Sango

Kagome's eyes were filled with tears by the time she'd finished the letter – in fact, she looked so distraught that when Inuyasha appeared at the front door, he immediately crossed to her in concern.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" he asked quickly, his tone clearly fretful.

"No, no – it's nothing," she assured him, smiling to show that she was telling the truth. "It's just – I got a letter from Sango."

"Sango? Are they alright?" he replied, now sounding eager.

"Yes – Inuyasha, they're getting married back in Asile next month and…do you think there's any way we could be there for the wedding?"

His face fell slightly at the hopefulness in her voice, and she knew what he must be thinking: They were barely making enough to get by. How on earth could they manage a trip to France, especially with the state of commercial travel being in such disrepair from the war?

"I don't know, Kagome…" he began uncertainly, but she interrupted him.

"I know it would be difficult – but isn't there some way? We haven't seen them in so long…" Kagome pleaded.

Inuyasha met her gaze for a moment and heaved a small sigh of determination. "Well…I think I might know a way…"

And that was how, one month later, Kagome found herself riding in the copilot's seat of a two-man British war plane, left over from the war. It hadn't been easy for Inuyasha to get ahold of it, but he'd managed to pull a few strings and use his connections to their fullest advantage – meaning that he'd swallowed his pride and asked Sesshoumaru to do him a favor. Kagome had soothed his obvious disgruntlement at having to do so in the best way she knew how.

The view from this altitude was magnificent; it was like nothing Kagome had ever seen before in her life. The only other time she had flown in an airplane had been on the trip back to London after the battle of Ville du Pont. But with fretting over Inuyasha's injuries, helping the medics to keep all of the wounded in stable condition with her own limited medical skills, and the fact that the section of the plane that they were in had no windows, she had not been able to appreciate the experience that time. Now, for the first time, she could see what it was that enchanted her husband so about these bulky contraptions. Here, with the clouds spread out beneath her like a gentle yet infinite lagoon, and the rays of the just-set sun casting the sky in hues of pink and blue and gold, she felt a sot of peace that she had not known for a very long time.

"You kept your promise," she murmured.

He glanced over at her with a puzzled frown. "Hm?"

"_I'll take you someday," he said softly, lifting his free hand and lacing his fingers with hers. "You and I, we'll go flying one day together. It's like nothing else in the world – you'll see."_

"_I'd like that," she whispered…_

"You promised to take me flying – and now you are," she explained, glancing back at him with a smile. She saw understanding dawn on his face, and he gave a small, bemused laugh.

"Yeah, you're right – I guess I did."

Miroku and Sango were waiting for them when they landed, and Sango threw herself happily into Kagome's arms the moment she stepped out of the aircraft. The two of them laughed and cried as their respective husband and fiancé exchanged a brief handshake and greeting and looked on.

"We were so worried about you both," Kagome said. "All this time, and we had no way to contact you – and we knew you had no way of knowing how to contact us either."

"I know," Sango chimed in. "We felt the same way – not knowing if you'd even made it back until I was able to locate you."

Miroku nudged Inuyasha and said discreetly, "Why don't you and I head back to the house and let these two catch up."

"Ah – yeah sure," Inuyasha agreed, leaning over to give his wife a brief kiss goodbye. "We'll meet you back there, alright?"

"Mm hm," Kagome nodded, and the two pairs went their separate ways.

Kagome and Sango passed through a short stretch of woods to the road that led into town, which they then followed, chatting all the while. They reminisced about old times – times before the war, and some during – and about life since the war as well. Kagome told Sango all about the wedding and the honeymoon, and about what it was like to live in London, and Sango told Kagome all about the clean-up efforts in Asile, and how the bakery was doing, and about what had changed. Asile had been hit pretty hard in the latter days of the war – a battle had taken place over on the eastern edge of the town, and much of it had been damaged or destroyed. As they walked, Kagome could see the evidence of destruction here and there, growing more and more frequent as they moved east along the cobble-stoned streets.

"Oh," Sango stopped herself in the middle of an anecdote about the young couple that lived next door to them now, "Did I tell you about Hojo?"

"No," Kagome said, intrigued, turning to the other woman. "What happened to him?"

"I told you how he was when Koharu was sick back at the bunker, right? Well, after the surrender, when we all split up, he and Koharu ran off together and eloped!"

The ebony-haired woman raised both eyebrows at that. "_My_ Hojo ran off with Miroku's not-so-secret admirer? The man who wouldn't risk biting into a chocolate lest it turn out to be the wrong flavor? The one who nearly had a coronary the first time he saw me in slacks? _That_ Hojo?"

"That's the one."

"Well…that's a bit of a switch," Kagome murmured, amused.

"Being dumped by you seems to have agreed with him – even if he didn't agree with it, at first."

Kagome's amusement turned to mild concern, tinged with guilt, and after a moment she asked, "How was he, after I left? I mean, he was pretty upset when I first broke it off with him, and I never really had much of a chance to see him after that. Did he…was he alright?"

Sango smiled somewhat wanly. "He took it pretty hard for awhile, especially once he found out you weren't even coming back to the bunker. I think a part of him still hoped you'd change your mind – or at least that he'd get a chance to say a proper goodbye. But he came to terms with it eventually. I think he realized, finally, that three years is a long time to wait for someone who, to the best of your knowledge, can't possibly come back"

A comfortable silence fell between them for a moment, only the sounds of the occasional car and the women's heels on the paving stones breaking the cool, evening air. Kagome glanced up from the road, and felt her heart clench in surprise as she recognized the building they were passing. Even now, without the crisp, forbidding Nazi guards flanking the entrance, the villa that the resident Colonel had once occupied still radiated a latent sense of foreboding.

"What happened to Kouga?" The words were out of her mouth before she realized she'd said them.

"He disappeared," Sango replied, looking up at the mansion as well. "People who were still around here at the time say that once the war turned and it became clear that the end was coming, he and his staff and his collection of artwork all disappeared overnight. That was just a few days before the fighting reached here."

Kagome frowned at that. "But that doesn't make sense. Kouga was always complaining that he and his men were never sent into battle. Why would he have left just before the battle reached Asile?"

"Well," Sango offered, "from what I know of him, and from what I've heard around town, he liked to fight – but he didn't like to lose. Dying for the Cause was probably far less appealing than living for his own benefit."

"Mm," the other woman agreed. "Now that _does_ sound like him. Where do you suppose he went?" she asked as they continued on their way.

"Rumor has it he was headed for South America – and he wasn't the only one. A lot of Nazi higher-ups did the same thing, apparently, hoping to just fade into the background and live out lives of luxury in obscurity."

They walked on for a little while longer before their feet finally carried them to their unspoken destination. There, just around a bend in the street, stood what remained of Le Café de L'Asile.

Though it still stood, the entire building exuded a sense of desolation and abandonment. The outside had clearly been damaged by stray fire and debris in the attack, and the front door had been torn off its hinges, giving them a window into the barren interior. Kagome could feel Sango watching her for her reaction, but she only continued to stare blankly at what had once been her home.

With a detached sort of contemplation, she moved forward and stepped into the main room of the café. The tables and chairs were all gone – the place had clearly been looted, leaving only spare scraps of paper and wood and broken glass and a thick layer of dust and grime covering everything. The paint on the walls was chipped, the walls themselves cracked and stained. All in all, the place was like a ghost – like an empty shell of what had once been.

She remembered hitting her head on the edge of the counter once when she was younger, and her mother scooping her up and plopping her down on top of it to bandage the cut with soothing fingers.

There had been a table just here, where she now stood – she had sat here with Inuyasha once, two years ago.

"_I'll help you," he said, and her eyes met his, slightly surprised.  
_

"_What?"  
_

"_I'll help you find your friend, this Miroku," he repeated, his eyes not leaving hers.  
_

_She replied, "Thank you. That's very generous, but as I said, we don't even know where to begin."  
_

_He shrugged lightly, a hint of that arrogant smirk of his quirking the corners of his lips. "Well then, we'll just have to do a bit of digging, won't we?"  
_

_In spite of the dire circumstances and her earlier depression, Kagome found her mood lightening a bit in response to his characteristic cockiness. She smiled appreciatively, this time with more life, more depth to the expression. She barely realized that she had yet to take her gaze from his face. For a moment the pair sat in silence, until both became aware that their eyes were locked and the silence became uncomfortable, laden with unspoken emotions.  
_

_Seeking escape, both hanyou and woman stood to leave, as a result finding themselves face to face, scant inches from each other. Kagome's breath hitched as she stared first into the man's eyes, then dropped her gaze to his lips. How did he manage to do this to her? With just a look, just being near him, she was blushing like a schoolgirl. The thought of kissing him put butterflies in her stomach when she thought they had long since exiled themselves. Innocence was one thing she had not had for a long time, yet near him, she might as well have been a virgin.  
_

_All at once Kagome turned away, remembering at that thought a certain handsome ebony-haired Nazi who was expecting her presence tonight. The butterflies evaporated, replaced with a gnawing sensation -- dread perhaps? Or was it more like guilt?  
_

"_I have to go," she muttered quietly, gathering her coat and purse and sweeping out the door. She didn't look back at him once._

Over there, in the stairwell leading to the second floor was the place that she had often haunted as a girl. In the evenings after she had been put to bed, she would sneak out of her room and creep halfway down the stairs to where, hidden in the shadows, she could watch her mother serving dinner and drinks to her loyal patrons. She could still hear the sound of a woman's voice in the background crooning out "It Had to be You" over the tinkling of the piano and the nondescript din of chatter and laughter.

And not far from there was the very spot where she had first met Inuyasha, as he lay, bleeding to death on the floor behind the counter.

She mounted the steps carefully, feeling her way in the dim light, and rounded the corner to her old bedroom. It too had of course been deprived of its contents – but Kagome chose not to see the emptiness. Instead she saw the old desk where she had always done her homework; the full-length mirror before which she had modeled her rose-pink prom dress while she waited for Hojo to arrive; the bed upon which she had sobbed for days when she had received news of his death.

When she had had her fill of remembering, Kagome returned to the downstairs and rejoined Sango.

"We talked about cleaning it up and trying to get the café up and running again," Sango said, glancing around at the empty space, "but somehow it just didn't seem right. It would have been like trying to bring someone back from the dead."

"No, you're right," Kagome agreed, releasing a sigh. "The space is still usable – but it's someone else's turn to make a life here. And no doubt someday someone will." She turned to exit the building once more, but Sango stopped her.

"Wait – I have something that belongs to you. I took it with me when we fled town – I thought you might like to have it back." And there in her hand she held Kagome's old diary.

The other woman drew in a breath, taking the book gently in her hands and looking up at her friend. She couldn't speak – but she knew she didn't have to.

* * *

It was a beautiful ceremony, held in a lovely little stone chapel that dated all the way back to the Middle Ages. Kagome stood as Sango's maid of honor, and Inuyasha as Miroku's best man, and all the members of the little town of Asile were in attendance.

After the ceremony the guests filed out onto the lawn and mingled in the afternoon sunlight, the birds singing a cheerful duet against the rustle of a nearby stream. There was cake and coffee and hors d'oeurves, and happy chatter and words of congratulations filled the air.

Kagome and Inuyasha stood hand in hand near the edge of the crowd, watching the happy couple greeting their guests and accepting their well-wishings.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, after a while, "You seem sort of quiet."

She released a sigh and shook her head. "I'm fine – just thinking."

"About what?"

"About this place," Kagome replied, lifting a hand to indicate the people of the town, "About how much has changed. And about how happy everyone is, in spite of what's been lost in these past years."

Inuyasha wrinkled his brow, not sure exactly what she was getting at. "And?"

"And…" his wife repeated, meeting his gaze, "it means we're going to be okay. It means that Asile will survive, France will survive, and the human race will go on. It means that there is still happiness in the world even after so much destruction."

"You didn't know that already?" he questioned with a grin, lifting their clasped hands and nodding toward her wedding ring.

She smiled. "Well…but now I'm _really_ sure."

He wrapped his arms around her and placed a gentle, loving kiss to her lips, and then the two of them moved forward together into the crowd.

* * *

A/N: Well, what can I say that hasn't already been said? It's had its ups and downs, but overall I'm glad it's finished. This, as I may have mentioned previously, is only the most recent incarnation of a vague idea that has been with me for years – that idea being some sort of action/romance set in the midst of World War II. The first incarnation was an 18-page story I wrote for English class in middle school, and the others were all either variations of that story itself, or new angles on the idea that I started briefly but never finished. This is the first version of this story to ever actually be novel-length when finished – and if I know myself, it's likely that this will not be the last incarnation of this idea that I will write. Perhaps someday, with a bit of inspiration (and a lot of research), I'll turn the basic premise into an actual novel.

Perhaps. We'll see…

Oh, and for anyone who might be interested, the date of Sango and Miroku's wedding (April 6th) just happens to be my birthday (--grin--). And the bar that Kagome works at – the "Hung Drawn & Quartered" – is actually a real place. It's near the Tower of London – I passed by it when I was there on vacation with my family a few years ago, and the name (which, in case you are unaware, refers to a popular and extremely gruesome method of torture/execution from the Middle Ages) stuck in my head. It probably didn't exist in 1945, but that's what artistic license is for… (--grin--)


End file.
